The Federal Aviation Administration says it has received 2,500 reports of unruly passenger behavior since January 2021 and has said that passengers who interfere with or physically assault aircraft crew could face fines of up to $35,000 and possible jail time.By now much of the world has seen video of the Frontier Airlines Philadelphia – Miami passenger duct taped to his seat after reportedly spilling a cocktail on himself, taking off his shirt, touching up flight attendants and getting into a fight. Insider's Allana Akhtar reported in June that flight attendants were seeing 'unprecedented' violence on flights, particularly over mask mandates. These events come amid a rise in passenger aggression on airplanes. The incident took place on an American Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, to Charlotte, North Carolina.

The altercation follows a similar episode last month where a female passenger was duct-taped to her seat after reportedly trying to open the door mid-flight and assaulting flight attendants. 'If this is not immediately corrected, flight attendants may feel unsafe to come to work,' she added.įrontier later issued a new statement emphasizing that the crew members involved were put on paid leave, not suspension, while the issue is being investigated, and said that the company is working with law enforcement to 'fully support the prosecution of the passenger involved.' 'We will be fighting this with every contractual and legal tool available, but we would hope there will be no need for that as management comes to their senses and supports the people on the frontline charged with keeping all passengers safe,' she said. Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, said in a statement that the situation was 'one of the worst examples' of passenger behavior on flights this year and condemned Frontier for suspending the crew members. In the video, Berry can be heard screaming 'You guys f- suck' and claiming that his parents are worth 'more than 2 million g-d- dollars.' Read more: United, Delta, and American Airlines need pilots so badly, they're making it easier than ever for newbies to land top flying jobsĪ passenger on the flight captured video of the incident, which was posted on Twitter by ABC reporter Sam Sweeney. He was ultimately duct-taped to his seat for the remainder of the flight and was arrested after the plane landed, according to ABC. A male flight attendant then came over to Berry's seat to watch him, and Berry punched him in the face. He ordered a third drink which he spilled on his shirt, then went into the plane's bathroom, emerging shirtless.Īfter a flight attendant helped him get a new shirt from his carry-on bag, he proceeded to walk around the plane for roughly 15 minutes before groping the chests of multiple female flight attendants. See more stories on Insider's business page.Ī Frontier Airlines passenger was taped to his seat after punching a male flight attendant, inappropriately touching female crewmembers, screaming obscenities, and taking his shirt off mid-flight.Īccording to Philadelphia's ABC affiliate, 22-year-old Maxwell Berry was arrested after traveling on a flight from Philadelphia to Miami on Saturday.īerry, who had two drinks while on the flight, used his empty cup to touch a female flight attendant's backside. He was arrested upon landing in Miami and could face stiff penalties. The passenger groped female crew members and punched a male crew member in the face. Sam Sweeney/TwitterĪ passenger on a Frontier flight was taped to his seat after assaulting flight attendants. A passenger on a Frontier Airlines flight to Miami as he punches a male flight attendant.

Duct tape passenger