8.13.21 – Government Affairs Update – August 13, 2021

L to R: DOT Secretary Buttigieg speaking at the DFW Terminal C modernization project; Rep. Colin Allred and APFA National President Julie Hedrick; DOT Secretary Buttigieg meets with APFA, AFA-CWA, AA and DFW Airport Leadership, and TX House Members at the DFW Airport Emergency Operations Center.

FAA Administrator Dickson Asks Airports to Step Up

APFA, along with other Flight Attendant Unions, has been working with leaders in Washington on steps to address unruly behavior. Last week, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson asked airport leaders to help deter the egregious behavior we continue to encounter on our airplanes. In the letter, Administrator Dickson addressed the sale of “to-go” alcohol which encourages passengers to drink and misbehave during flight. He also requested that additional pre-recorded public service announcements play in airports to raise awareness about non-compliant behavior and associated penalties. The FAA Zero-Tolerance policy clarifies that any misbehavior that puts crewmembers and passengers in danger will be met with legal action.

Read the full letter here.

Chair DeFazio (OR-04) Presses FAA on Disruptive Passengers

In response to record numbers of incidents involving unruly airplane passengers, Representative Peter DeFazio wrote a letter to FAA Administrator Steve Dickson urging him to ensure that airline employees can easily report such incidents. Furthermore, DeFazio asked for an indefinite extension to the FAA’s Zero-Tolerance policy. In the letter, a request was also made to report how many additional safety inspectors the FAA needs to handle enforcement or other help that Congress could provide.

“The violent, disruptive behavior that we’ve seen on airplanes this year must not go unpunished. Recklessly refusing to wear a mask during the deadliest pandemic in a century is dangerous enough, but punching Flight Attendants, running for the cockpit door, assaulting other passengers, and the litany of other outrageous incidents reported in the press requires a strong federal response.” -Transportation and Infrastructure Chair Peter DeFazio.

Read the full letter here.

In Solidarity,

Allie Malis
APFA Government Affairs Representative

Lori Glattly
APFA Government Affairs Representative

[email protected]