Alaska Airlines could face a $165,000 fine for allegedly allowing visibly intoxicated passengers to board its aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration announced on Tuesday.
The alleged incidents occurred on 11 flights between February 2024 and February 2025, the FAA said in a statement. The agency added that regulations prohibit airlines from allowing anyone who appears to be intoxicated to board an aircraft. The proposed penalty is civil in nature, and the airline has 30 days after receiving the agency’s enforcement letter to contest the charge or negotiate a settlement.
No passenger injuries linked to the 11 incidents were cited in the FAA’s announcement.
Alaska did not immediately respond to a request for comment but said in a statement sent to media outlets: “Since the FAA shared these concerns with us over a year ago, we made meaningful changes to ensure compliance with the FAA’s expectations—including enhanced training for all flight attendants and customer service agents. …We respect the results of the FAA’s audit and are confident in the changes that have been in place for the last year to ensure our shared standards are being met.”…