US flight attendant's union wants Capitol rioters banned from flying
- by Emilio Sims
- in Money
- — Jan 9, 2021
News of the new policy comes after Wednesday's violent protests and rioting in Washington, D.C., during which Trump supporters breached the U.S. Capitol.
Sources at two U.S. airlines said there had been unruly passengers on flights to the DC area on Tuesday, raising concern about their departure.
On Wednesday night, the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA union called for people involved in the insurrection at the Capitol to be barred from flying.
Sara Nelson, the head of the flight attendants' union said that the "mob mentality behavior" of those who traveled to the Capitol this week puts airline workers and passengers at risk. It will not happen again.
"Acts against our democracy, our government and the freedom we claim as Americans must disqualify these individuals from the freedom of flight", she said.
On January 4, 2021, multiple air traffic controllers in NY reported hearing a threat to fly a plane into the Capitol building in Washington D.C. The Federal Aviation Authority told the DailyMail that it was working "closely with federal law enforcement and national security partners on any reported security threats that may impact aviation safety".
"Regardless of one's political beliefs, the cabin of a commercial aircraft must, out of necessity, be a calm environment for the safety of everyone on board", AFPA president Julie Hedrick said in a statement.
Paul Hartshorn Jr., an APFA spokesperson, added that banning people who participated in the riots would be a "Herculean" task.
Dickson said "unruly passenger behavior. can distract, disrupt and threaten crewmembers' ability to conduct their key safety functions".
The in-flight alcohol ban appears to be temporary.
American chose to stop offering alcohol in first class Thursday on flights in the D.C. region.
Other airlines are also following suit.
Officials with American Airlines, United Airlines and Delta Air Lines said they also were taking additional security measures in the Washington region.
Prior to Wednesday's riots, American and United Airlines said they had started booking flight crews into airport hotels away from the city center, CNBC reported. Full details about this were not immediately available.
