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A Delta Boeing 737-900ER passenger cabin. Reuters/Mike Blake On Friday, an American Airlines pilot and union leader told CNBC that on-board passenger disturbances are noted in the cockpit and that the US government should take additional steps to prevent incidents. “I’m up there flying the plane 35,000 feet approaching the speed of sound, and I hear one of my flight attendants or another passenger has been assaulted,” Dennis Tajer stated on “Squawk Box.” “That’s a danger to everyone else on the plane…. We can’t just stop the plane and tell everyone to get out “Tajer, who is a spokesman for the Allied Pilots Association, which represents 15,000 American Airlines pilots, added. Unruly behavior by airline customers has increased dramatically this year, with one passenger allegedly assaulting a Southwest Airlines flight attendant in late May. Since Jan. 1, the Federal Aviation Administration has received around 3,100 reports of disorderly behavior, with 2,350 reports of passengers refusing to comply with the federal Covid mask rule. The policy is in effect until Sept. 14, and the FAA intends to implement its zero-tolerance approach for passenger disturbances throughout that time. The FAA has proposed more than $560,000 in fines against airline customers who disobeyed flight attendants’ orders to follow cabin crew and federal standards this year alone. The fines must be appealed within 30 days. According to Tajer, flight attendants, airline lobbying groups, and various aviation unions, including the Allied Pilots Association, have all contacted the US Department of Justice about the occurrences. The industry requested that the DOJ “commit to the full and public prosecution of onboard acts of violence” in a letter issued late last month. “We’re seeing a lot more aggressive behavior, as evidenced by what you can see on your phone when individuals upload it. That’s inexcusable “Tajer stated to CNBC. “But now we need to see the legal backing, the criminal justice processes, and make that very public, you know. It’s not simply about vengeance. It’s about preventing this from happening.” In the current context, Tajer believes that establishing secondary barriers, which offer an extra layer of security to the flight deck anytime the cockpit door is opened, would be beneficial. Airlines and manufacturers are “fighting” for them, he added, noting that senators have already sponsored bipartisan legislation requiring additional cockpit barriers on all commercial passenger planes. “With all the rowdy passengers — and sometimes you’re simply not feeling well — but if someone has nefarious purpose, we’ve got to have all the tools in place to safeguard the flight and therefore our passengers and our country,” Tajer added. As more travelers return to the air, Tajer’s thoughts on flight disruptions are timely. According to a AAA estimate, more than 47.7 million Americans are projected to travel throughout the holiday season, with travel volumes nearly entirely rebounding to pre-pandemic levels. According to AAA, this Independence Day is likely to see the second-highest travel volume on record, trailing only 2019 by nearly 40%, compared to last year during the epidemic. TSA checked 2,147,090 passengers at airport security checkpoints on Thursday, roughly three times more than on the same weekday in 2020 and even more than pre-Covid levels in 2019./nRead More

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