HOUSTON — Why is there a fight over fights on airplanes?
It has been a trend that has been hard to miss during the pandemic, the skyrocketing cases of unruly passengers on airplanes. There have been more than six thousand reports of unruly passengers since the start of 2021. In 2022, there have already 500 cases of disorderly passengers on planes.
Many of these incidents stem from disagreements over the federal mask mandate on planes.
Now Delta Airlines wants to crack down on these cases. The airline is asking the government to make a "No-Fly" list of unruly passengers. So if you're reported misbehaving on one carrier, you would be barred from flying on any of their US competitors.
Individual airlines already maintain their own "No-Fly" lists for unruly passengers but supporters say a federal list would makes flights safer for crews and fellow flyers.
A group of senators has come out in opposition to the idea. In a letter to the Attorney General, they said the list would equate these passengers to terrorists.
Critics also say a lot of these incidents would stop if the mask mandate was lifted. In fact, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton just announced he is suing the Biden administration to get rid of the mandate on planes. That mandate is set to expire in March and there are signs it would not be extended. The CDC says it is currently reviewing all of its guidance on masks.
Editor's Note: The following video was uploaded in July 2021