Man who refused to wear mask on flight fined $10,500

A man who refused to wear a mask on an Allegiant flight departing from Utah has been fined $10,500.

The passenger refused to wear a mask over his mouth and nose on the Feb. 27 flight from Provo, Utah, to Mesa, Arizona, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday. Flight attendants said they instructed the man to wear his mask properly seven times, but he removed it each time they walked away.

The FAA said when the passenger was asked to cooperate, he argued with the flight attendant, refused to provide identification and said he would continue pulling his mask down.

The passenger approached a flight attendant after the flight landed and touched her, the agency said. The FAA said he then got close to her and complained to her about her enforcement of the policy, which intimidated the flight attendant and made her cry.

The passenger’s name and place of residence have not been released.

The FAA has imposed eight other civil penalties, ranging from $7,500 to $21,500, this week on passengers who refused to wear masks.

The FAA has received at least 3,200 reports of unruly passenger behavior since January, including about 2,475 reports of passengers refusing to comply with the federal mask mandate. The FAA has identified potential violations in 540 cases and has begun enforcement action — including more than $682,000 in fines — in 83 cases, reported apnews.com.