Reid bill cracks down on air rage

Benjamin Grove

Thursday, June 3, 1999 | 11:26 a.m.

Sen. Harry Reid says his bill to protect flight attendants from unruly airline passengers could only enhance his long-standing effort to entice airlines to increase flights to Las Vegas.

"I don't think it will hurt," Reid, D-Nev., said Tuesday.

Reid introduced the airline-friendly bill last week aimed at cracking down on passengers who physically attack flight attendants. He co-authored the bill with Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., a doctor, licensed commercial pilot and husband of a former flight attendant. The bill is being considered by the Senate Commerce Committee.

Flight attendants rejoiced.

"Attacks on flight attendants endanger the lives of everyone on board a flight and should not be tolerated," Association of Flight Attendants President Patricia Friend said last week. "AFA will work with Senators Frist and Reid to help put a lid on air rage."

Under current criminal law, passengers face up to 20 years in jail and a $10,000 fine for interfering with a flight crew. Reid wants to increase the civil penalty cap from $1,100 to $25,000.

The proposal also would empower local police to arrest unruly passengers immediately after a plane touches down. Current law requires that airlines must track down federal officials to make such arrests -- which can mean long waits for the other passengers.

The new law also would allow the secretary of transportation to ban abusive passengers from flying for a year.

Officials say incidents of unruly passengers are increasing. The Federal Aviation Administration imposed civil penalties against 195 unruly passengers in 1997, up from 121 a year earlier. In a recent local case, Las Vegas Metro Police arrested a Southwest Airlines passenger after a flight from San Diego in which the man assaulted flight attendants.

Reid drew from experience: several years ago the senator joined a plain-clothes federal officer and several other men in subduing a passenger who attacked a flight attendant. Reid was on a flight from Baltimore to Las Vegas when he encountered the man who was "obviously not stable," he said. The plane landed in Omaha because of the incident.

"(The attack) didn't start over anything," Reid said. "The guy was just nuts. He just attacked this lovely lady."

The senator said it's possible the bill has the added bonus of making the airline industry more sympathetic to pleas made by Reid and Sen. Richard Bryan for more airline routes to Las Vegas.

The lawmakers and tourism experts say Las Vegas needs to continue adding routes to fill its hotel-casinos.

"We've got National now, and we certainly wish them well," Bryan said, referring to the new Las Vegas-based airline that began service last month to Los Angeles and Chicago.

But Reid is realistic about what motivates airline executives.

"Airlines are concerned with their bottom line," Reid said. "They are more interested in business travelers. They want the lawyer who has to make a trip to Dallas. They don't want to help the weekend (tourist) traveler."

The Associated Presscontributed to this report.