FAA wants crackdown on airport alcohol being taken onto planes

The FAA says unruly, alcohol-related behavior is taking place on flights and it wants to stop passengers from bringing alcohol from airport restaurants onto planes.

The FAA prohibits alcohol to go, and it wants airports to put up signs to stop it.

MORE: FAA letter to airport leaders about crackdown on alcohol 

The FAA says that even though bringing alcohol onto a flight is not allowed, it has recently received reports that it’s happening regardless.

On Saturday, a 22-year-old Ohio man on a flight from Philadelphia to Miami was accused of groping two flight attendants and punching another. According to a police report, the man had been drinking alcohol, and crew members eventually restrained him by duct-taping him to his seat.

Travelers say they’ve noticed drunken incidents on planes and at airports getting worse.

“People are crazy. I mean, they had to duct tape some guy,” said traveler Jim Penning. “They shouldn’t put up with it. Why would you put up with someone being rude, violent or abusive on an airplane? These people get paid to take care of us and keep us safe.”

The flight attendants involved in the incident with the drunk passenger are on paid leave. The man involved posted a tweet that said he was mistreated, and a video of part of the flight has gone viral online.

The FAA asks that airports share information in places that will catch people’s attention, such as boarding areas. The agency has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to unsafe behavior on airplanes.

At Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW), as stated in their written ordinance, alcohol to-go is not allowed in public areas and may only be consumed within a restaurant.

Clarification: An earlier version of this story inaccurately implied RSW allows alcohol to go. All alcohol must be consumed within a restaurant.