American Airlines is joining Southwest Airlines in holding off on resuming in-flight alcohol sales following an assault against a flight attendant last week.
The moves come as Americans are returning to the skies amid a travel boom as the COVID-19 pandemic eases — and a corresponding spike in unruly behavior by passengers.
On Friday, Southwest LUV, -0.44%, which was also set to resume alcohol sales in June, announced an unspecified delay in an internal memo. “Based on the rise in passenger disruptions in flight, I’ve made the decision to re-evaluate the restart of alcohol service on board,” said Sonya Lacore, head of Southwest’s in-flight operations, in the memo, according to CNN.
“Every day, we are subjected to verbal and sometimes physical altercations, mainly centered around mask compliance,” Julie Hendrick, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, said in a statement Saturday. “These altercations are often exacerbated when customers have consumed alcohol in the airport or alcohol they have brought onboard. … it is clear that now is not the time to return sales of alcohol.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Monday that there have been about 2,500 reports of unruly behavior by passengers so far this year, including about 1,900 incidents when passengers refused to wear face masks, as required. In a typical year, about 100 to 150 cases of unruly behavior are reported, according to the FAA.
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