*Flying is the safest mode of transportation, and I signed this order to keep it that way. The agency will pursue legal enforcement action against any passenger who ‘assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crew members,’ says Steve Dickson, Administrator of US Federal Aviation Administration

Emmanuel Akosile | ConsumerConnect

Are you planning to fly into, or within the United States (US) anytime soon? Please comport yourself well and don’t act like a fool, as the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Administrator Steve Dickson has signed a fresh order directing a harsher legal enforcement policy against any unruly airline passengers with immediate effect.

The regulatory agency’s latest move to ensure safety onboard is said to be connection with the recent episodes where airline passengers have disrupted flights with threatening or violent behaviour as well as cases in which some passengers refused to wear nose masks onboard a flight.

The measure follows the Department of Transportation’s (DOT) new set of standards for determining whether an airline was being unfair or deceptive in dealing with passengers, agency report stated.

The FAA Chief said: “Flying is the safest mode of transportation, and I signed this order to keep it that way.” Warning offenders to prepare to write a cheque for $35,000 if they act up, up to now, the US aviation regulator was reported to have had a more lenient way of addressing unruly-passenger incidents by using a mix of warnings, counselling, and civil penalties.

However, Dickson said the kid gloves are off now with his signing of the fresh regulations.

Effective immediately, the FAA is getting rid of the simple warning or required counseling.

Instead, the agency will pursue legal enforcement action against any passenger who “assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crew members.”

If a passenger acts up in any fashion that crosses that warning line, they should be prepared to pay a fine of up to $35,000 and possibly spend time in prison on top of that.

This policy will be in effect through March 30, 2021.

Meanwhile, Dickson warns all and reminds the flying public that the FAA monitors and tracks all commercial passenger flights in real-time, and it has reporting mechanisms in place for crew members to identify any safety and security concerns that may arise in flight.

He stated: “We have zero tolerance for threatening or violent behavior by passengers, and we will take the strongest possible enforcement action against any passenger who engages in it.”