Congress Drafts Legislation for National No-Fly List

A potential national no-fly list for the most violent airline passengers has passed its first step.

A Congressional bipartisan group has drafted legislation that calls for a lifetime ban from commercial flights for the most egregious of unruly passengers, an issue that has plagued aviation since the onset of the pandemic two years ago and the introduction of the federal mask mandate.

The proposed bill, called the Protection from Abusive Passengers Act, was introduced this week by Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Penn., according to Fox Business.

Any such list would be administered by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

But these are just the first steps – most Republicans have shown resistance to such a dramatic penalty. The three lawmakers who drafted the legislation said the proposed bill is to serve as a deterrent to “the appalling pattern of physical abuse that seems to have become more frequent during flights.”

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian has been a strong advocate for a national no-fly list as the ultimate penalty for unruly fliers. Bastian pointed to the record number of airline and airport incidents – 5,891 in total – that were reported to the Federal Aviation Administration in 2021 as proof that something more than just financial penalties are needed.

“Unfortunately, too many of our pilots, flight attendants and crew members are dealing with unacceptable abuse from passengers – everything from kicking to spitting to biting,” Rep. Swalwell said in a statement. “This behavior is not only inappropriate, but it also puts other crew and passengers at risk. I’m proud to join Senator Reed in introducing this bill to help protect everyone aboard aircraft and to help ensure flights are safe.”

Delta, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, the Air Line Pilots Association, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the Transportation Trades Department-AFL-CIO and the Transport Workers Union of America-AFL-CIO all support the bill.

“Right now, a passenger can be fined or convicted, and may be banned on an individual airline – but that does not prevent this violent offender from flying another airline,” Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, said in a statement. “This bill would change that. It’s really just a handful of bad actors who need to be grounded and face consequences for their violent actions.”