Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Pete ButtigiegSunday shows preview: Frustration runs high as infrastructure talks hit setback US traffic fatalities up 18 percent in first half of 2021 The Hill's Morning Report - Presented by Facebook - Biden, Democrats inch closer to legislative deal MORE 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 Joe BidenTrump lawyer blamed Pence for causing Capitol attack: report Biden receives communion in Rome Protestors march for climate action in Rome amid G-20 summit MORE said he has directed the Department of Justice to “deal with” the spike in reports of unruly passengers on airplanes.
maglen69 on October 31st, 2021 at 21:01 UTC »
Just an FYI:
The ACLU is AGAINST a federal No-Fly list due to the secrecy of the entire thing and a lack of Due Process involved in the whole process.
Charge them, prosecute them, and if found guilty in a court (an open one, not a secret one) THEN ban them.
bodyknock on October 31st, 2021 at 17:14 UTC »
I'm not opposed to people convicted of violence on an airplane being on the No Fly List. That being said I do agree with the ACLU that the No Fly List is problematic as it currently stands because it has insufficient notification for people to let them know they're on the list or be able to challenge their inclusion. Basically the way the list current is set up the government can put someone on the list and there's no way for the person to know why they're on the list and it's very difficult to get off it. An example of how this is a problem was when the court ordered the government to pay $400,000 to a Malaysian academic who was put on the No Fly list in 2008 and in court the government ended up admitting she was on the list due to an error, but during the court case in 2014 the government still wasn't confirming that she was taken off the list.
And this isn't a small matter, not being able to fly is a significant infringement on civil liberty. It should only be restricted when the person is actually reasonably deemed a risk to the flight, and the person should have the opportunity to defend themselves against placement on it. Now in this case with Buttigieg's proposal there would be little doubt as to why someone being violent on a flight was put on the list, so the concerns above about notification and appeal aren't pressing. But as a more general topic the No Fly List does need some revision in how it's handled.
Weazelll on October 31st, 2021 at 16:24 UTC »
I’ve assumed every “violent airplane passenger” would automatically be on the No Fly list! So, a guy with brown skin once made his shoes into a bomb and we all have to take our shoes off every time we fly but a white guy gets violent about wearing a mask and the rest of us just have to live with the increased danger cuz he is still out there flying.