Following a peak of 304 FAA enforcement actions in 2004 (excluding security violations, which are handled by the Transportation Security Administration), 2008 witnessed only 95 cases brought against rowdy passengers, through Nov. 24.
Besides the 304 FAA enforcement actions in 2004, 203 cases were brought in 2005, 134 (the lowest number since at least 1995) in 2006, and 147 in 2007.
“Interfering with the duties of a crewmember violates federal law,” the FAA states. “[N]o person may assault, threaten, intimidate or interfere with a crewmember in the performance of the crewmember's duties aboard an aircraft being operated.”
Fines for unruly passengers can be as costly as $25,000 per violation, although the FAA stresses one incident can result in multiple violations.
LOOPHOLES
The Federal Election Commission ruled that the campaign committee for Missouri Sen. Christopher S. Bond not be allowed to pay the senator's co-author for expenses related to a book project because the payments would constitute personal use of campaign funds.
That said, the FEC also ruled that KITPAC, the Republican senator's leadership PAC, can make the payments because the book is of interest to the PAC irrespective of Mr. Bond's candidacy for office and because there is no personal obligation on the part of the senator to compensate his co-author.