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The federal district court in Arizona ordered an American Airlines passenger to pay the carrier $38,952 after she pleaded guilty to interfering with a flight crew member. According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s office in Arizona, Cayla Farris used profanity and threatened flight crew members while traveling from Phoenix to Hawaii on Feb. 13, 2022. Prosecutors say her behavior prevented flight attendants from carrying out their duties and the captain decided to return to Phoenix. In addition to the fine, Farris was sentenced to time served of 3.6 months in prison and three years of supervised release. During the release period, she will not be able to fly on a commercial aircraft without prior authorization. The government has been stepping up enforcement around air rage incidents in recent years after onboard acting out spiked earlier in the pandemic. There were almost 6,000 reported unruly passenger incidents in 2021, compared to about 1,100 in 2019. The number of cases has fallen in recent years but remains above pre-pandemic level. FAA data shows there have been 1,820 unruly passenger reports so far in 2023. Experts say airplanes can be petri dishes for bad behavior as travelers are crammed together and often stressed about getting where they need to be. Federal law requires passengers to obey crewmember instructions.<br/>

Malaysia Airlines has announced the full resumption of its in-flight service offerings across all sectors following the catering transition that took effect on Sept 1, 2023. This comprehensive reinstatement includes complete beverage offerings, full hot meals and reinstatement of special meals. Malaysia Aviation Group managing director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail said the airline is also introducing enhanced meal offerings and refreshed menus across sectors as it seeks to elevate the onboard dining experience. "As a global airline, Malaysia Airlines sets high standards for our product offerings and services onboard, being the embassy on wings for the country and the champion for Malaysian Hospitality,” he said in his welcoming remarks at the reinstatement of Malaysia Airlines’ full in-flight service offerings announcement here today. He said the airline fully understood that customer experience transcended isolated incidents or single interactions, rather, it is a dynamic and ever-evolving journey that required continuous improvements. "We are actively pursuing growth opportunities and forging strategic partnerships to ensure that meals offered to our guests are beyond optimal standard and uncompromised in quality,” he said. The full resumption comes following the delivery of the remaining 10 hi-lifts, which commenced operations at the end of October 2023, enabling the airline to progressively commence its full in-flight service offerings since Nov 1, 2023 with a commitment to fulfil its Nov 15, 2023 restoration targets.<br/>

Qantas Airways illegally suspended a health and safety representative after he instructed colleagues not to clean planes arriving from Covid-19 hotspots at the start of the pandemic, an Australian court ruled in the latest blow to the airline’s battered reputation. The ground worker at Sydney airport targeted by Qantas, Theo Seremetidis, told staff on Feb. 2, 2020, that for safety reasons they didn’t have to clean two aircraft arriving from China that morning. Qantas broke the law when it suspended Seremetidis the same day, according to Thursday’s judgment. The case follows a September ruling by Australia’s top court that Qantas illegally sacked almost 1,700 ground workers during the pandemic. The country’s antitrust watchdog is also suing the airline for allegedly continuing to sell tickets on thousands of flights it had already decided to cancel. The reputational damage caused by the scandals, as well as a slump in service levels since the pandemic, have triggered a stock-price slump, the early retirement of former CEO Alan Joyce and a boardroom cleanout. According to Thursday’s judgment, Seremetidis attempted to carry out his duties as a health and safety representative “conscientiously and carefully.” Sentences and costs are yet to be determined. Qantas said it will review the judgment. “Our medical and safety teams worked tirelessly to provide daily updates to employees and to put effective controls and procedures in place to help protect our people and customers,” the airline said in a statement. <br/>