- Hearing comes as airlines report major rise in violence among passengers
- Nearly one in five flight attendants have had a ‘physical incident’
- Members will hear from a flight attendant and several airline executives
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Data compiled by the Federal Aviation Administration also showed that investigations of plane passengers’ behavior has hit record levels.
In 2019, 146 passenger investigations were initiated. In 2020, that number rose slightly to 183.
The agency said it had asked airline trade groups at a meeting on Tuesday to disclose within a week what steps they will take to curb such incidents. The FAA said the industry is facing a record number of airline passenger disturbances, and it plans to soon hold similar meetings with representatives from airports and labor.
The meeting with groups, including Airlines for America, a group representing American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines and others, discussed ‘ways the industry can work together to reduce the number of unruly passenger incidents,’ the FAA said, adding it ‘believes additional action by the airlines and all aviation stakeholders is necessary to stop the unsafe behavior.’