Unruly Delta passenger facing $52,500 fine

A Delta Air Lines passenger is facing a $52,500 fine after allegedly trying to open the cockpit door during a flight, physically assaulting a flight attendant and refusing to comply with crew members’ instructions.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) unveiled the fine on Monday, which, according to ABC News, is the largest penalty the agency has proposed this year.

According to the FAA, the passenger was aboard a flight from Honolulu to Seattle when he tried to open the cockpit door, then struck a flight attendant in the face and pushed him to the floor.

The passenger then allegedly charged the flight attendant while he was trying to restrain the passenger.

Flight attendants, with assistance from another passenger, eventually handcuffed the unruly passenger, officials said, but he later freed himself from one of the handcuffs and allegedly struck the flight attendant in the face a second time.

Police arrived on the plane after it landed and took the passenger into custody, according to the FAA.

“Federal law prohibits interfering with aircraft crew or physically assaulting or threatening to physically assault aircraft crew or anyone else on an aircraft,” the FAA said in its statement.

Earlier this month, the agency said it had received approximately 1,300 reports of unruly passengers from airlines since February, which far outpaces the number of cases it has seen in the past.

The agency said it has so far identified potential violations in approximately 260 of the cases.

The FAA in March extended its zero-tolerance policy for bad behavior on flights.

On Monday, it also unveiled three other fines for unruly passengers, including one who was allegedly yelling and banging his hands on the seat in front of him before yelling that he had a bomb and was going to blow up the aircraft.

Another passenger is said to have repeatedly removed his face mask or worn it improperly after being advised that he had to wear it over his mouth and nose unless he was eating or drinking. That passenger also drank personal mini bottles of alcohol, according to the FAA, which was prohibited on the flight.

A third passenger allegedly screamed in a flight attendant’s face while not wearing a mask.