Buttigieg: Federal no fly list ‘should be on the table’ for violent airplane passengers

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said on Sunday that a federal no-fly list for violent airplane passengers should be evaluated. 

“I think that should be on the table,” Buttigieg said of the potential list on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“The [Federal Aviation Administration] stands strongly with flight crews. It’s why you’re seeing some really harsh penalties and fines being proposed,” Buttigieg said.

“There is absolutely no excuse for this kind of treatment of flight crews in the air or any of the essential workers — from bus drivers to air crews who get people to where they need to be,” he said.

Buttiegieg said that it is “completely unacceptable to mistreat, abuse, or even disrespect flight crews,” adding that flight attendants “have been on the frontlines of the pandemic from day one.”

Buttigieg’s remarks come after an American Airlines flight was diverted last week after an attendant was assaulted. A passenger was arrested when the plane landed in Denver and the attendant was taken to a local hospital. The attendant’s injuries included broken bones in her face. 

“We are outraged by the reports of what took place on board. Acts of violence against our team members will not be tolerated by American Airlines. We have engaged local law enforcement and the FBI and we are working with them to ensure they have all the information they need. The individual involved in this incident will never be allowed to travel with American Airlines in the future, but we will not be satisfied until he has been prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” American Airlines said in a statement regarding the incident last week. “This behavior must stop, and aggressive enforcement and prosecution of the law is the best deterrent.”

Earlier this month, President Biden said he has directed the Department of Justice to “deal with” the spike in reports of unruly passengers on airplanes.