Flight attendants back bill to create national list of unruly flyers

The federal mask mandate on flights may be ending soon, but that won’t eliminate the threat of unruly passengers disrupting flights, the head of the largest U.S. flight attendants union warns. “I don’t view the two as related,” Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) President Sara Nelson said. “Clearly we have had conflicts on masks, but the issue of violence on board is a bigger issue: It’s about not wanting to follow the rules.” Nelson and the AFA are putting their weight behind a new bill introduced by Representatives Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Penn.), and Senator Jack Reed (D-R.I.) that would stiffen penalties for disruptive behavior onboard aircraft. “Unfortunately, too many of our pilots, flight attendants and crew members are dealing with unacceptable abuse from passengers — everything from kicking to spitting to biting,” Swalwell said in introducing the bill. “This behavior is not only inappropriate, but it also puts other crew and passengers at risk.” The bill would create a national list of passengers who are barred from flying due to disruptive behavior. This would be separate from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) “no-fly” list of suspected terrorists or criminals. Instead, the list would be managed by the TSA and would allow redress for passengers who think they were included in error.<br/>