Assaults against aviation workers have skyrocketed over the past year, but despite the severity and frequency of these violent events, not a single passenger who has assaulted a ground service worker has been prosecuted under federal law.

The TWU is encouraged by the introduction of the Protection from Abusive Passengers Act (H.R.7433 S.4019) which will protect airline crew members,  ground service workers, security screening personnel, and passengers by preventing abusive passengers from flying on commercial aircraft.

The TWU has been calling for an Abusive Passenger List since the fall of 2021. This bill has the potential to be a game changer. Introduced by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA-15), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-1), and Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), it will implement a list of “abusive passengers” – those who intimidated, threatened or assaulted an aviation worker. Any individual on the Abusive Passenger List would be prohibited from boarding a commercial aircraft.

If you support the implementation of such a list, send a letter to your elected officials today, telling them to support the Protection from Abusive Passengers Act!