The Federal Aviation Administration fined a Southwest Airlines passenger $40,000 for drinking his own alcohol on a flight, sexually assaulting a flight attendant and then smoking marijuana in the lavatory.
The whopping sum was the highest of eight fines totaling $161,823 that was levied by the FAA against passengers for 'unruly behavior involving alcohol,' the agency announced Monday, adding it has received nearly 300 reports of passenger disturbances due to alcohol this year.
In August, the FAA told airport bars they should monitor alcohol intake and prevent giving customers to-go cups filled with booze before they boarded their flights because of the skyrocketing cases of unlawful behavior this year.
Through November 1, there have been 5,033 reports of unruly passenger incidents, including 3,642 related to pandemic face covering regulations.
The FAA said in April they issued a $40,823 fine against an unidentified passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight traveling from San Jose to San Diego
In August, the FAA told airports they should monitor alcohol intake following an increase in bad behavior among passengers in 2021
The fine for $40,823 was issued in April against an unidentified passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight from San Jose to San Diego.
During the flight, the passenger drank his own alcohol, which is prohibited, and then sexually assaulted a flight attendant after she told him to stop drinking, FAA officials said.
He was then caught smoking marijuana before the flight landed.
Flight crew called law enforcement and the passenger was arrested for resisting arrest and public intoxication, the FAA said in a statement.
FAA chief Steve Dickson expressed his concerns about serving alcohol to passengers in airport restaurants and
