No shoving or biting! Unruly US airline passengers get big fines

An American Airlines passenger who allegedly shoved a flight attendant and spit at crew members has been hit with the biggest fine ever issued by US aviation regulators, and another fine topping $75,000 was issued to a Delta Air Lines passenger who bit a fellow passenger after trying to hug and kiss another.

Since January 2021 when the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) imposed a zero-tolerance policy, the agency has proposed fines of about $7 million for disruptive passengers. Two new fines issued Friday were the highest yet.

The FAA proposed an $81,950 fine for an American Airlines passenger on a July flight from Dallas, Texas to Charlotte, North Carolina, alleging the passenger “threatened to hurt the flight attendant that offered help to the passenger after she fell into the aisle.