Delta Asks for No-Fly List for Unruly Passengers

Reuters reports that Delta CEO Ed Bastian has petitioned US AG Merrick Garland to create a national no-fly list for unruly passengers.

This would mean that if someone is banned by one airline for unruly behavior (for example, assaulting a flight attendant), they would be banned from all US airlines – similar to the national “no fly” list in effect for suspected terrorists.

I support this, but with caveats. The caveats are needed due to the major, extreme inconvenience anyone put on this list will face.

One caveat is that there needs to be a real bar for this. It cannot simply be that the passenger got into an argument with an airline employee since, as bad as many pax are, many airline employees are just as bad, seemingly preferring to provoke a passenger rather than help them. Both are the exception to the rule, but we can’t have an airline employee on a power trip getting a passenger put on the no fly list.

There also needs to be clear parameters for what gets you on this list. For example, if you assault (punch or otherwise make contact with) a flight attendant, that would qualify for the no fly list. Arguing with a flight attendant would not (although it could still get you banned from that airline!).

Overall, though, the idea is sound in that it should serve as a real deterrent. Too many passengers have flouted mask requirements and assaulted flight attendants merely trying to enforce the rules. You can disagree with rules all you want, but by boarding the flight which has these rules, you do have a responsibility to follow them.

Interestingly, this news breaks on the same day that Southwest announced plans to bring alcohol back on board in mid-February, making flight attendants that have dealt with unruly passengers quite unhappy.

What do you think?

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