Passenger fined $40,000 for disruptive behavior on American Airlines flight

An American Airlines passenger has been ordered by a federal district court in Arizona to pay the carrier $38,952 after pleading guilty to interfering with a flight crew member. The passenger's disruptive behavior, which included using profanity and threatening flight crew members, caused the captain to return the flight to Phoenix. In addition to the fine, the passenger received a sentence of 3.6 months in prison and three years of supervised release, during which she will require prior authorization to fly on a commercial aircraft. The incident highlights the increasing enforcement around air rage incidents, which have risen significantly during the pandemic.