Concerns have been mounting about safety onboard planes after an incident Sunday on a Boston-bound flight, when a man allegedly tried opening an emergency door and allegedly tried to stab a flight attendant.
Lawmakers were discussing the safety concerns on Wednesday, during a congressional hearing with the head of the Federal Aviation Administration. The hearing follows a number of aviation incidents, several of which involved Logan Airport in Boston.
Reports of unruly passengers have been on the rise in recent months, according to the FAA. In 2022, there were more than 2,300 cases, with around a third of those leading to investigations.
Massachusetts Congressman Stephen Lynch has called for a review at Logan Airport after a number of close calls.
On Monday, the wings of two planes set to leave Logan clipped as one pulled away from its gate. Last week at Logan, two planes had "a close call" when one took off without clearance as another landed, federal aviation officials said.
"The FAA is responsible for flight operations and I have already requested a briefing with their officials to get an update on their investigations into how these events occurred and proposed solutions to ensure they do not continue," Congressman Lynch said in a statement.
The Association of Flight Attendants wants congress to take things a step further.
"Our union has been calling for a banned passenger list," President of the Association of Flight Attendants Sara Nelson said. "If people are acting out violently on the plane, they should not be allowed to fly. And that may be for a period of time, we can determine what that is and due process if this is government run, but this bill is sitting in congress right now.”
The congressional hearing was at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. The FAA will also be holding a safety summit with other aviation experts next week to address the recent issues and concerns.
