In two separate incidents this week, Unruly passengers disrupted the travel plans of hundreds of passengers onboard the flight of JetBlue (B6) and Spirit Airlines (NK).
Both of these incidents are reported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in its Aviation Accidents and Incidents.
Let’s see the first incident that occurred on December 11, 2024, JetBlue Airways flight B6209 bound for Santo Domingo (SDQ) took off from New York (JFK) at 1:29 AM UTC, as per FlightRadar24 data.
After being airborne for around one hour, the flight crew reported that unruly passenger disturbed the safety of the flight. Following this, the flight diverted to Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU).
The flight landed safely at RDU at 3:51 AM UTC. The flight was operated by the Airbus A320-232 aircraft, registered as NK1317.
FAA said they would investigate the incident and stated:
JetBlue Airlines Flight 209 landed safely at Raleigh-Durham International Airport around 9:40 a.m. local time on Wednesday, Dec. 11, after the crew reported a passenger disturbance. The Airbus A320 departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and was headed to Las Américas International Airport in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.”
FAA reported
While in a separate incident, on December 12, 2024, Spirit Airlines flight NK1317 was taxing for its scheduled departure from Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) to Tampa International Airport (TPA). However, the unruly passenger disturbed the flight and caused a disturbance.
Following this, he was removed from the plane, delaying the flight by over 10 hours.
FAA said they will also investigate this incident and reported:
The crew of Spirit Airlines Flight 1317 reported a passenger disturbance while taxiing for departure at Pittsburgh International Airport around 9:50 a.m. local time on Thursday, Dec. 12. Passengers exited the plane on the tarmac and were bused to the terminal. The Airbus A321 was headed to Tampa International Airport.
FAA
The flight was operated by Airbus A321-231, registered as N682NK.
So far FAA has reported around 1,954 unruly passengers incidents. This much lower than all time high 5,973 incidents in 2021 (yes during C.O.V.I.D.-.1.9 pandemic).
FAA observed a significant decline in unruly passenger incidents, with rates dropping over 80 percent from record highs in early 2021. However, recent data suggests ongoing challenges in maintaining passenger decorum and safety.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker emphasizes a zero-tolerance policy toward disruptive behavior, highlighting that dangerous passengers compromise aircraft safety and distract crew members from their primary responsibility of ensuring passenger protection.
Passengers engaging in unruly behavior face severe legal and travel consequences. The FAA can impose substantial fines up to $37,000 per violation, with multiple violations possible from a single incident. Serious infractions may result in FBI referral and potential felony conviction.
Disrupting crew member duties constitutes a federal law violation. The FAA possesses civil authority to levy fines, while criminal prosecution remains a separate potential outcome.
Unruly behavior can trigger significant repercussions, including removal of TSA PreCheck® eligibility and placement on airline-specific no-fly lists.
Specific regulations prohibit passengers from boarding while intoxicated and consuming alcohol not served by flight attendants. The FAA’s incident database relies on crew member reporting, meaning documented cases represent only a fraction of potential disruptions.
