Unruly passengers are now facing fines as high as $40,000 for their bad hehavior. But given that the total amount of proposed civil penalties surpassed the $1 million mark back in August, it seems the fines alone haven’t been enough to keep people in order.
But a new partnership between the FAA and the TSA might be.
According to a report from TravelPulse, it was announced on Tuesday that the two agencies have struck a deal that will involve the FAA passing along information surrounding unruly passengers to TSA, at which point the passengers TSA PreCheck status — or future eligibility — will be revoked.
“TSA has zero tolerance for unruly behaviors, especially those involving physical assault occurring aboard aircraft. We have tremendous respect for airport staff, gate agents and flight crews that get people safely to their destinations,” TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement. “This partnership with FAA will help ensure the safety and security of all passengers and hold those who violate federal regulations accountable for their actions.”
In a statement of his own, FAA Steve Dickson echoed Pekoske,”If you act out of line, you will wait in line.”
“Our partnership aims to promote safe and responsible passenger behavior. One unruly incident is one too many,” he added.
As a reminder, TSA PreCheck is available at 200 airports across the country. It’s offered through the government and costs $85 for five years and expedites the physical screening process. As of this past September, there were nearly 11 million active TSA PreCheck members across the country.
There’s probably something to be said for TSA and the FAA aligning against problematic passengers, but it also stands to reason that the folks who are willing to risk $40,000 for the chance to hit a flight attendant aren’t exactly thinking clearly enough worry about losing their TSA PreCheck.
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