Airlines Internal “No-Fly” List Grows to Over 2,700 Flyers
Joe Cortez January 18, 2021
Between face covering requirements and participating in the attack on the U.S. Capitol Building, airlines are continuing to ban flyers for their actions and behavior aboard airplanes. Data collected by Fox News suggests there are over 2,700 flyers now on no-fly lists across five major airlines.
Even though airlines have mandated passengers wear face coverings for over six months, the collective airline “no-fly” lists for non-compliance and other behaviors continue to grow. According to data collected by Fox News, the major airlines have banned at least 2,700 flyers for a variety of offenses.
Delta, United and Spirit Have Most Flyers on Ban Lists
According to the information released by the carriers, two legacy airlines lead the list for banned flyers. Delta Air Lines has banned over 880 passengers, while United Airlines has refused service to 615 passengers. Frontier Airlines is third, with over 500 banned flyers, while Spirit Airlines has banned 432 people and Alaska Airlines has banned 303. American Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines and Southwest Airlines have not commented on how many people they have stripped flight benefits from.
Although most airlines admit that the bans are from not complying with face covering rules, there has been a noted increase in disturbances on flights going to and from Washington, D.C. Southwest said they have seen “an uptick in traveling passengers” who are unruly or refuse to follow flight crew instructions, while Alaska and United have collectively banned 94 people since the week of Jan. 4, 2021. In the days immediately after the attack on the Capitol, a small group of flyers claim they were being targeted by airlines for their outward support of outgoing president Donald Trump.
The moves by the airlines come as the Transportation Security Administration is working with their federal law enforcement partners to vet hundreds of names “for a thorough risk assessment” ahead of the inauguration of president-elect Joe Biden. In a statement, the agency notes additional security measures ahead of the event include the presence of additional TSA screeners, federal air marshals aboard flights and enhanced screening procedures.
Bans Come as FAA Takes “Zero Tolerance” Posture on Disruptive Flyers
The additional bans, risk assessments and enhanced security presence comes as the Federal Aviation Administration is increasing civil fines for badly behaved passengers. Flyers now face fines up to $35,000 if they are caught in an “unruly-passenger incident,” with a referral to the U.S. Department of Justice for potential criminal prosecution.
I don't have a lot of sympathy for the people who got themselves on the lists. But that's a lot of people for individual airlines to blacklist. I would hope that some of these people, should they ever change their ways, have some recourse to use these airlines again a couple years down the line or whatever. But I'm not sure what kind of standard the airlines would be able to apply to grant that relief.
Stupid people win stupid prizes. Congrats to winning a spot on the No-Fly List, idiots! (FYI: The no-fly lists have been around awhile - even before 2016 - so all the political garbage coming from both sides about the lists is lazy and dumb. Discuss better, people!)
I don't know what the interaction is between the TSA and the airlines individual lists but should we assume that they have been in cahoots all along to stop any potential disruptions to other airlines by these folk who are already banned. One would expect that the airlines submit a list and state why certain people have been banned and then TSA can make the assessment on whether they are likely to reoffend on another airline.
It would be somewhat ironic if the airlines ban the foot soldiers who invaded Capitol Hill but let the politicians who promoted them carry on flying, Surely these politicians who blatantly supported the invasion should also be put on the 'no fly' list?!
it's only right that people who are a threat should be banned, and surely in the name of law and order that should be extended to politicians who insight insurrection such as Boebert and Hawley