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Miami-Dade county officials warn unruly behavior at the airport will not be tolerated

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Miami-Dade County officials warn that unruly behavior during the holiday travel season will not be tolerated.

The TSA is telling travelers to be patient, leave extra time and follow the rules while they are flying.

Miami-Dade county Mayor Daniella Levine-Cava sent a message to travelers on Wednesday, warning that unruly behavior will not be tolerated.

“You will not be allowed to board the airplane if you are not masked, and if you are not masked on the plane you may be asked to get off the plane.. So please, please know our police are hear to protect everyone. They will arrest when necessary and they will also refer to mental heath services when necessary.” said Levine Cava.

This warning comes following a number of unruly incidents captured on cellphones. One video, captured in July shows a man yelling and cursing at customers, after failing to wear a mask on a flight from New York to Miami.

In August, on a Frontier flight from Philadelphia to Miami, a flight attendant had to duct tape a man to his seat.

Miami-Dade police say the man had a few alcoholic drinks, then groped the breasts of two female flight attendants, then punched a male flight attendant.

That same month, another passenger went on a tirade at Miami International Airport. he picked up a security post and slammed it to the ground.

The FAA has reported nearly 5,000 cases of unruly passengers across the country in 2021. That is a 3,000 percent increase from 2019.

The FAA has indicated that about 80 percent of those incidents are related to mask wearing.

The TSA says passengers refusing to wear a mask could be fined between $500 and $1,000 for a first time offense and up to $3,000 for repeat offenders.


About the Author
Eden Checkol headshot

Eden Checkol co-anchors Local 10's 10 p.m. weeknight newscast on WSFL and also reports on WPLG newscasts. She’s a Minnesota native who is thrilled to leave the snow behind and call South Florida home.

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