Delta asks DOJ to add unruly passengers to federal “no-fly” list

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Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesDelta Air Lines is urging the Department of Justice to put unruly passengers on the federal “no-fly” list so that “individuals who have endangered the safety and security of our people do not go on to do so on another carrier,” CEO Ed Bastian wrote in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland Friday.Why it matters: 2021 saw a sharp increase in unruly airline passengers, many of whom initiated physical attacks on ground workers and flight attendants. Though the DOJ has ramped up prosecution in these cases, airline workers have repeatedly called for stronger action. Reuters first reported the news of the letter. The Federal Aviation Administration in 2021 received nearly 6,000 reports of unruly passenger behavior, with over half, about 4,200, being mask-related.What they’re saying: “[W]e are requesting you support our efforts with respect to the much-needed step of putting any person convicted of an on-board disruption on a national, comprehensive, unruly passenger ‘no-fly’ list that would bar that person from traveling on any commercial air carrier,” Bastian wrote. “This action will help prevent future incidents and serve as a strong symbol of the consequences of not complying with crew member instructions on commercial aircraft.”Delta has called on its aviation partners to “share their unruly passenger ‘no fly’ list to ensure individuals who have endangered the safety and security of our people do not go on to do so on another carrier,” Bastian noted.”Any disruption or act of violence on our planes and at our airports warrants full and public prosecution of the offenders, with zero tolerance for any behavior that interferes with flight safety.”Read the letter: Go deeper: “Make it stop”: Flight attendants urge feds to help