Delta passenger who assaulted flight attendant faces $27,500 fine

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Delta suspends flights at small airports in 11 U.S. cities

The airline industry is facing another setback amid the coronavirus pandemic. Delta stopped flights at 11 small airports across the country for about three months.

A Delta passenger faces a $27,500 fine for allegedly assaulting a flight attendant, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration is proposing. 

The FAA on Friday issued the civil penalty against the passenger for an incident that occurred on Oct. 16, 2020, on a flight from Miami to Atlanta.

A Delta passenger is being fined over $27,000 for striking a flight attendant.  (iStock)

During the incident, the FAA alleges the passenger was traveling with and seated next to another traveler who refused to wear his mask, fasten his seatbelt and secure his tray table. The flight returned to the gate after the passenger refused to comply.

When the pair was asked to get off the plane, the traveler accompanying the passenger who would not wear a seatbelt or mask ignored the flight attendant and allegedly started yelling and cursing and struck the flight attendant under the left eye — a federal offense, according to the FAA.

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"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," the FAA said in a statement.

Anyone who interferes with or assaults a crewmember can also face criminal fines and imprisonment, the FAA says. The passenger in question has 30 days to respond to the FAA regarding the civil penalty.

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Currently, the FAA is also imposing stricter penalties for unruly passengers after a "disturbing increase" in such incidents amid the coronavirus pandemic, and partially due to travelers refusing airline and government mandates to wear mask while in flight. 

"We will no longer adjudicate certain of these unruly passenger cases with counseling or warnings," said FAA Chief Steve Dickson after announcing the order in January. "We’re going to go straight to enforcement."

During the order, which is in effect until at least March 30, disruptive passengers could face fines of up to $35,000 and possible jail time.