The head of the Federal Aviation Administration told CNBC on Thursday that there has been a worrying increase in commercial flight disruptions in recent days, prompting the regulatory agency to issue a stricter enforcement policy. .
“Really, over the last few days, we’ve seen an increase in the distribution of incidents on board where airline passengers have disrupted flights with their behavior,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson told Squawk on the street “.
He said the episodes have been derived in part from the fact that aviators do not comply with facial mask policies, which have been enforced during the coronavirus pandemic, and also in the wake of the deadly pro-Trump uprising at the U.S. Capitol last week. past.
The FAA’s new enforcement policy comes as airlines and airports improve security ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden next week.
For example, American Airlines is pausing alcohol service on flights to and from Washington and Baltimore from Saturday to next Thursday. The Texas-based Fort Worth airline also implemented the suspension following last week’s Capitol riots.
Delta Air Lines will not allow passengers flying to airports serving Washington to check firearms, CEO Ed Bastian told CNBC on Thursday.
Dickson said his new FAA order will temporarily bolster its long-standing focus on flight interruptions.
Instead of issuing warnings or advice, the FAA intends to take legal action against “any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates or interferes with airline crew members,” according to a press release. The order is valid until March 30.
“I’m telling inspectors, I tell my lawyers at the FAA law firm, that we need to speed up the collection of facts on all of this. [incidents] and we will take immediate enforcement action in the right situations, ”Dickson told CNBC.
On Monday, in a letter seen by CNBC, two key House Democrats called on the FAA to crack down on unruly passengers. Lawmakers pointed to media reports of politically motivated interruptions in the days following the Capitol’s violent violence by supporters of President Donald Trump.
Dickson agreed on the need to protect flight crews and passengers alike.
“Whenever we see a trend like this, we have to act because traveling on a commercial airline in the United States is the safest way to travel in human history,” he said. I want to make sure it stays that way. “
– CNC’s Leslie Josephs contributed to this report.