$13,600 fine for passenger who blew his nose into a blanket

An airline passenger is said to have refused to wear a facemask, to have repeatedly ignored or abused the flight attendants who instructed him to wear one – and then, while not wearing a mask, to have coughed and blown his nose into a blanket.

The US Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) proposes to hit the unsanitary nose-blower with a civil penalty of US$10,500 (AUD13,600).

It is one of two cases publicized by the FAA. The other is a man said to have slammed overhead bins while shouting threats and profanities.

The cases and proposed penalties are as follows: 

• US$10,500 against a passenger on a 27 December 2020 JetBlue Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport. The FAA alleges the passenger repeatedly ignored and was abusive too, flight attendants who instructed him to wear a facemask. At one point, while not wearing a mask, he coughed and blew his nose into a blanket. The passenger’s disruptive behavior diverted flight crewmembers from their duties.
• US$9000 against a passenger on a 16 March 2021 JetBlue Airlines flight from Los Angeles International Airport to Newark Liberty International Airport. The FAA alleges the passenger acted in a disruptive manner while boarding the flight. He yelled, slammed overhead bins, and shouted profanities at the cabin crew, including threatening to harass a flight attendant during the entire flight. He also shouted profanities at the captain when the captain entered the cabin to ensure the passenger got off the plane. Law enforcement met the passenger at the boarding gate and escorted him out of the terminal.

US federal law prohibits interfering with aircraft crew or physically assaulting or threatening to physically assault aircraft crew or anyone else on an aircraft. Passengers are subject to civil penalties for such misconduct, which can threaten the safety of the flight by disrupting or distracting cabin crew from their safety duties. Additionally, federal law provides for criminal fines and imprisonment of passengers who interfere with the performance of a crewmember’s duties by assaulting or intimidating that crewmember.

The FAA confirms it is strictly enforcing a zero-tolerance policy toward passengers who cause disturbances on flights or fail to obey flight crew instructions in violation of the FAA’s regulations or engage in conduct proscribed by federal law.

The passengers have 30 days after receiving the FAA’s enforcement letter to respond to the agency. The FAA does not identify individuals against whom it proposes civil penalties.

Edited by Peter Needham