Delta asks the Justice Department to put unruly travelers on a ‘no-fly' list
Delta Air Lines' CEO Ed Bastian asked the U.S. Department of Justice to put convicted unruly travelers on a national “no-fly” list, the airline's latest effort to deter aggressive behavior on flights that have surged during the pandemic.
Bastian said that while such incidents are rare, a “no-fly” list “will help prevent future incidents and serve as a strong symbol of the consequences of not complying with crew member instructions on commercial aircraft,” he wrote to Attorney General Merrick Garland in a letter dated Jan. 3.
The Federal Aviation Administration declared a “zero tolerance” policy for unruly travelers last year. In 2021, it logged a record 5,981 cases of unruly passenger behavior, 72% of them related to disputes over mask compliance. Enforcement actions were initiated in 350 cases. So far this year, the FAA received 323 reports of unruly passengers.
Last September, Delta said airlines should share a central “no-fly” list of unruly passengers, arguing it could prevent individuals barred from flying on one carrier from traveling on another.
Garland instructed prosecutors in November to prioritize cases of disruptive and violent behavior on flights, such as assaults on crew members or passengers. Earlier that month, the FAA said it referred 37 unruly passengers to the FBI.
Delta has barred 1,900 people from flying the carrier for failing to follow the federal mask mandate, it said.
The Justice Department didn't comment on Bastian's letter, which was first reported by Reuters.
达美航空公司的首席执行官埃德巴斯蒂安要求美国司法部将被定罪的不守规矩的旅客列入全国“禁飞”名单，这是该航空公司为阻止在大流行期间激增的航班上的攻击性行为所做的最新努力。 巴斯蒂安说，虽然此类事件很少见，但“禁飞”清单“将有助于防止未来发生事件，并作为不遵守商用飞机机组人员指示的后果的强烈象征，”他写信给司法部长梅里克·加兰在 1 月 3 日的一封信中。
美国联邦航空管理局去年宣布对不守规矩的旅行者实行“零容忍”政策。 2021年，它记录了5981起乘客不守规矩的行为，其中72%与口罩合规纠纷有关。对 350 起案件启动了执法行动。今年到目前为止，FAA 收到了 323 起乘客不守规矩的报告。
去年 9 月，达美航空表示，航空公司应该分享一份不守规矩的乘客的中央“禁飞”名单，认为这可能会阻止被禁止乘坐一家航空公司的个人乘坐另一家航空公司的航班。
加兰在 11 月指示检察官优先处理航班上的破坏性和暴力行为案件，例如袭击机组人员或乘客。当月早些时候，美国联邦航空局表示已将 37 名不守规矩的乘客转交给联邦调查局。
达美航空已禁止 1,900 人乘坐这家航空公司，因为他们没有遵守联邦口罩规定。
司法部没有对路透社最先报道的巴斯蒂安的信发表评论。
