The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has recommended fines totaling more than $640,000 for travelers who disobeyed mask rules.
According to a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), 922 persons were punished for causing security problems connected to the face mask regulations between February 2, 2021, and March 7, 2022. There were 2,709 warnings issued by the agency.
The majority of the incidents — 88 percent – occurred onboard an airplane or on airport property.
Conversely, 88 percent of TSA enforcement actions against travelers who refused to wear a face mask occurred onboard planes. According to the GAO, 75 percent (2,709) of TSA’s enforcement actions were warning notifications, while 25% (922) were civil penalty assessments.
According to the House Committee on Homeland Security, the TSA received 4,102 reports of mask-related incidents between February 2 and September 13, 2021, issuing warnings to over 2,000 passengers and levying only $2,350 in civil penalties against ten passengers.
While the CDC’s mask recommendations have altered for most indoor settings in the United States, government officials said last week that the TSA’s mask mandate would be extended until April 18.
The mandate was supposed to end on March 18, but the CDC claimed the extra month will give them enough time to design new, more focused measures that will make the nationwide mask mandate on airlines and other forms of public transportation less onerous next month.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) both look into cases where persons don’t wear masks.
With 5,981 rowdy passenger reports, the FAA recommended $5 million in fines against unruly passengers in 2021.
