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- The FAA announced it has referred a further 22 cases of unruly passengers to the FBI.
- That included an incident in October last year, where a passenger sent a bomb threat via AirDrop.
- Pete Buttigieg said "we are addressing this issue aggressively" and warned of fines up to $37,000.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced Tuesday it has referred 22 cases of unruly passengers to the FBI, as it looks to crack down on chaotic airline behavior.
A partnership between the two agencies has existed since 2021 — when unruly passenger incidents reached an all-time high — under which the FAA has so far referred 270 of "the most serious cases" to the FBI.
The majority of the latest spate of incidents referred to the FBI involve physical or sexual assaults, although some involve bizarre actions.
One passenger AirDropped a bomb threat to other passengers in October last year — an apparent reference to this incident as reported by AeroTime.
The American Airlines passenger was arrested by police after he sent a message saying he was going to blow up the plane, forcing everyone to evacuate as officers inspected the aircraft, per AeroTime.
No bomb was found, but the man was arrested on a charge involving false information and hoaxes which could result in five years in prison, the outlet reported.
The FAA also referred two incidents of smoking and one of vaping onboard a plane to the FBI.
A further three refer only to "erratic behavior," while one case of physical assault also involved the offender approaching the cockpit "as if they were going to enter."
Statistics from the FAA show reports of unruly passengers peaked at 5,973 in 2021 as the industry returned from the pandemic. That dropped 59% the following year, with 1,177 in 2023 so far — but that's already more than pre-pandemic years.
"Unruly behavior poses serious safety concerns for passengers and crew alike, which is why we are addressing this issue aggressively," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement.
"If you act out on an airplane, you can face criminal prosecution and fines up to $37,000 per violation."