Man who refused to wear mask on flight departing from Utah fined $10,500

Stock image | Photo by No-Mad/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A man who refused to wear a mask on an Allegiant flight departing from Utah has been fined $10,500.

The passenger refused to wear a mask over his mouth and nose on the Feb. 27 flight from Provo to Mesa, Arizona, the Federal Aviation Administration said Tuesday. Flight attendants said they instructed the man to wear his mask properly seven times, but he removed it each time they walked away.

The FAA said when the passenger was asked to cooperate, he argued with the flight attendant, refused to provide identification and said he would continue pulling his mask down.

The passenger approached a flight attendant after the flight landed and touched her, the agency said. The FAA said he then got close to her and complained to her about her enforcement of the policy, which intimidated the flight attendant and made her cry.

The passenger’s name and place of residence have not been released.

The FAA has imposed eight other civil penalties, ranging from $7,500 to $21,500, this week on passengers who refused to wear masks.

The FAA has received at least 3,200 reports of unruly passenger behavior since January, including about 2,475 reports of passengers refusing to comply with the federal mask mandate. The FAA has identified potential violations in 540 cases and has begun enforcement action — including more than $682,000 in fines — in 83 cases.

Written by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS.

Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!