>>CORLEY PEEL: THIS WEEK THE FAA ANNOUNCED IT HAS REFERRED DOZENS OF CASES OF UNRULY
PASSENGERS TO THE FBI FOR
POSSIBLE PROSECUTION.
OFFICIALS SAY BETWEEN JANUARY
OF 2021 AND THIS PAST TUESDAY,
80 INCIDENTS WERE SENT TO THE
FBI. AND 43 OF THOSE CASES
FROM THIS YEAR. THEN NEW
NUMBERS COME AS DELTA AIRLINES
IS ASKING THE JUSTICE
DEPARTMENT TO ADD UNRULY
PASSENGERS TO THE FEDERAL NO
FLY LIST. JOINING US NOW TO
GIVE US SOME INSIGHT INTO THE
SITUATION IS OUR NEWS FOR JAX
AVIATION EXPERT ED BOOTH. ED,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING
US THIS MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING. CALLIE.
>>CORLEY PEEL: FIRST OF ALL,
WHAT ARE THE POSSIBLE
PUNISHMENTS? UNRULY PASSENGERS
CAN FACE?
>> TIME IN FEDERAL PRISON AND
SEVERE MONETARY FINES IN THE
PAST. THE HAS HANDLED MOST OF
THESE INCIDENTS INTERNALLY AND
THEY ARE AUTHORITY IS LIMITED
TO THE IMPOSITION OF CIVIL
PENALTIES WITH THE FBI GETTING
INVOLVED. THEY WILL BRING IN
INAPPROPRIATE U.S. ATTORNEY’S
OFFICE CRIMINALLY PROSECUTE
THESE PASSENGERS AND A LIKELY
IMPOSE PRISON SENTENCES
UPWARDS OF YEAR TO IS SO MUCH
AS 15 YEARS, DEPENDING ON THE
SEVERITY OF THE BEHAVIOR.
>>CORLEY PEEL: AND WHAT IS THE
DEBATE OVER ADDING THESE
UNRULY PASSENGERS TO THE NO
FLY LIST?
>> BELIEVE IT OR NOT. THERE’S
A LOT OF PUSHBACK FROM
CONGRESS. THE PURPOSE OF THE
NO FLY LIST WHEN IT WAS
ESTABLISHED AROUND 2000, 2 WAS
TO TRACK TERRORISTS AND
CONGRESS THUS FAR THINKS IT
WOULD BE INAPPROPRIATE TO
MISBEHAVING U.S. CITIZENS IN
THE SAME COMPANY OF POTENTIAL
TERRORISTS. SO THERE NEEDS TO
BE SOME SOLUTION. BUT THE
ADDING THEM TO THE NO FLY LIST
DOESN’T SEEM PROBABLE AT THIS
TIME.
>>CORLEY PEEL: AND I KNOW SOME
OF THE BACK AND FORTH WITH
THIS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME
OF THE CHARGES VERY THERE ARE
SOME PEOPLE THAT MIGHT HAVE
BEEN ARRESTED OR, YOU KNOW,
TOLD TO GET OFF THE PLANE
BECAUSE THEY DRINK TOO MUCH ON
THE PLANE. BUT THEN THERE’S
THOSE PEOPLE BEEN PHYSICAL
TOWARDS FLIGHT ATTENDANTS. SO
DO YOU THINK THAT’S GOING TO
COME AND PLAY? THE DIFFERENCE
IS LIKE THE SEVERITY OF EACH
CASE WILL DEPEND ON THE
DIFFERENT CHARGES.
>> OR THE ONE WEATHER EXPERT,
WHETHER IT’S REFERRED TO THE
FBI IN THE FIRST PLACE WILL
DEPEND THE SEVERITY. IF YOU
BEAT UP A FLIGHT ATTENDANT
TRIED TO OPEN THE AIRPLANE
STORE IN FLIGHT TRYING ENTER
THE COCKPIT. THOSE ARE
OFFENSES THAT WILL LIKELY LEAD
TO PROSECUTION IN THE FUTURE.
MY AT EACH AIRLINE HAS THEIR
OWN INTERNAL. NO FLY LIST, BUT
THEY DO NOT SHARE THIS
INFORMATION WITH EACH OTHER
LIKELY FOR FEAR OF BEING SUED
FOR DEFAMATION. ITS ONE THING
FOR DELTA TO SAY WE WON’T SELL
YOU A TICKET, BUT IF THEY TELL
ANOTHER AIRLINE, DON’T CARRY
THIS PERSON, IT COULD CAUSE
PROBLEMS FOR THEM.
>>CORLEY PEEL: WHY DO YOU
THINK WE’RE SEEING SO MANY
MORE CASES OF UNRULY
PASSENGERS?
>> MY OPINION IS ONE OF THE
PROBLEMS IS SERVING OUT ALL ON
AIRPLANES. THIS IS A PRACTICE
THAT. STOP FOR A TIME AND IT’S
SIMPLY NOT REASONABLE TO
EXPECT FLIGHT ATTENDANTS WHO
ARE CRITICAL REQUIRED CREW
MEMBERS TASKED WITH ENSURING
THE SAFETY OF THE PASSENGERS
TO BE PUT IN THE POSITION OF
ESSENTIALLY BEING BARTENDERS
IN DETERMINING WHEN SOMEONE
HAS HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK
BECAUSE I BELIEVE A NUMBER OF
THESE SEVERE AND STUDENTS ARE
PRECIPITATED BY THE FLIGHT
ATTENDANTS CUTTING THE
PERSON’S ALCOHOL SUPPLY OFF.
>>CORLEY PEEL: HAVE NOTICED
SOME AIRLINES, I THINK
SOUTHWEST AND SOME OTHERS NOT
DECIDED NOT TO SERVE ALCOHOL
ON THEIR FLIGHTS, ESPECIALLY
DURING THE PANDEMIC. YOU KNOW,
WE’RE TRYING TO MAINTAIN
SANITIZE AISHA, NOT MIXING
DRINKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT WILL DEFINITELY BE
ENTERING. INTERESTING TO SEE
IF ANY MORE AIRLINES CHOOSE TO
GO WITH NO ALCOHOL ON THEIR
FLIGHTS. ANOTHER THING, TOO,
THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU
KNOW, SOME ARE OKAY WITH THE
MASK WEARING THE MASK THAT HAS
CAUSED SOME UNRULY PASSENGER.
SOME ARGUMENTS WITH FLIGHT
ATTENDANTS ON PLANES TO NOTICE
THAT.
>> WELL, WHEN YOU’RE IN AN
AIRPORT OR ON AN AIRPLANE,
YOU’RE UNDER FEDERAL
JURISDICTION OF THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT CAN DETERMINE
WHETHER OR NOT YOU WEAR A
MASK. THE STATE OF FLORIDA
REALLY HAS NO AUTHORITY TO SAY
YES OR NO. AS FAR AS MASK
WEARING WHEN IT COMES TO AN
AVIATION AIRPLANES.
>>CORLEY PEEL: ALL RIGHT.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, ED