WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Authority announced Tuesday it will be working with the Transportation Security Administration to identify unruly passengers who face fines so that the TSA can remove them from its PreCheck screening program.
“If you act out of line, you will wait in line,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a news release. “Our partnership aims to promote safe and responsible passenger behavior. One unruly incident is one too many.”
The news release notes TSA PreCheck is a privilege reserved for low-risk travelers.
“TSA has zero tolerance for the 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,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “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.”
The partnership will also see the TSA sharing information to the FAA to identify and locate unruly passengers to serve them with penalty notices, although passenger privacy and personal information protections will be in place.
Through Dec. 14, the FAA has received 5,664 unruly passenger reports including 4,072 mask-related incidents, according to its website. From those, the FAA initiated 1,030 investigations, from which 315 enforcement cases, many which involve steep fines, have been handled since the beginning of the year.
The FAA has investigated less than 200 cases a year for the last 15 years.
———
