Unruly Air Passenger Incidents Decline Significantly After Mask Mandate Suspension

Flight attendants hand out refreshments to a packed Delta Air Lines flight on May 21, 2021. Kent Nishimura/Los Angeles Times/TNS

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Wednesday reported a sharp decline in unruly air passenger incidents just one week after a federal transportation mask mandate was vacated by a federal judge.

According to data released by the FAA, there were 1.9 incidents per 10,000 flights for the week ending April 24, compared to 4.4 reported incidents per 10,000 flights in the prior week.