It's about time.
The FAA has announced a zero-tolerance policy for people who behave like jackasses on airplanes.
Those who want to get violent or abusive with the flight crew or fellow passengers will now face possible criminal charges, an up to $35,000 fine, and being banned for life from flying.
Since January, "unruly behavior" on airplanes has skyrocketed. NBC News reports that "in a typical year, the transportation agency sees 100 to 150 formal cases of bad passenger behavior. But since the start of this year, the agency said, the number of reported cases has jumped to 1,300, an even more remarkable number since the number of passengers remains below pre-pandemic levels."