FAA Reports 400% Surge Of In-Flight Outbursts, DoT Launches Civility Campaign

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has launched “The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You” campaign ahead of the upcoming holiday travel season, aimed at triggering conversation nationwide over the return of civility in air travel, the Department of Transportation (DOT) said in a Nov. 19 statement.

Air travel has become more unruly over the years, DOT said. Since 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has seen a 400 percent surge in in-flight outbursts from travelers, ranging from disruptive behaviors to violent actions.

Since 2021, there have been 13,800 unruly passenger incidents, with the 2024 numbers double that of 2019, according to the DOT.

Between 2020 and 2021, unruly passenger reports jumped six times. In 2021, one out of every five flight attendants reported experiencing physical incidents, DOT said.

In “The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You” campaign video, the DOT showed clips of various incidents involving unruly passengers, including physical fights onboard airplanes.

Duffy appears in the video, asking people to bring manners back in air travel.

Naveen Athrappully reports for The Epoch Times that the DOT said the campaign addresses the “record surge” in unruly passengers with potential improvements expected to make the travel experience better for people while ensuring the safety of passengers, pilots, flight attendants, and gate workers.

Duffy also asked potential flyers to think about the way they dress, whether they help pregnant women or the elderly, retain control of their children, and communicate with general courtesy.

“There’s no question we’ve lost sight of what makes travel fun—the excitement, the relaxation, the cordial conversations. Americans already feel divided and stressed. We can all do our part to bring back civility, manners, and common sense. When we can unite around shared values, we can feel more connected as a country,” DOT said.

“Along with building an all-new air traffic control system, surging air traffic control hiring, and making travel more family friendly, the Department of Transportation is committed to ushering [in] a Golden Age of Travel for the American people.”

The DOT campaign comes ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday period, which is expected to see 81.8 million individuals travel at least 50 miles from their homes between Nov. 25 and Dec. 1, according to a Nov. 17 statement from the American Automobile Association (AAA).

Out of this, 6 million are expected to travel via domestic flights, up by 2 percent from last year, said the association.

The number of air travelers over the past several years has remained between 5 million and 6 million, except during the 2020 COVID-19 period.

“A roundtrip domestic flight is averaging $700 which is similar to last year,” AAA said.

“It’s cheaper to fly on Thanksgiving Day itself, but the flight home is what drives up the ticket price since Sunday and Monday are the busiest return days. Some travelers shorten or extend their Thanksgiving trips to avoid flying on peak days.”

During the Thanksgiving season, unruly passengers can become more problematic, given the high traffic during this period.

According to FAA data, there have been 1,431 unruly passenger reports this year, as of Nov. 16, which have resulted in 142 investigations, 125 enforcement actions, and $2.1 million in fines.

The highest number of unruly passenger reports in this decade was registered in 2021 amid the pandemic, when the number hit 5,973.

“The rate of unruly passenger incidents steadily dropped by over 80 percent since record highs in early 2021, but recent increases show there remains more work to do,” the FAA said.

In November 2021, the FAA and the FBI issued a joint statement informing people that the FAA would refer unruly passenger cases to the FBI to conduct criminal case reviews.

Meanwhile, the recent end of the federal government shutdown has resulted in the FAA lifting all restrictions on commercial flights at major American airports, said a Nov. 20 statement from travel insurance comparison company Squaremouth.

The lifting of restrictions has “helped ease the worries of those who considered canceling or delaying their travel plans,” it said, adding that “operations are normalizing just in time for the busy holiday travel season.”