Here’s why people are still flipping out on airliners

Unruly passengers in the United States are decreasing.

The good news may end there.

There were about 500 reports of unruly passengers per month in the US in the year 2021, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. In the first three months of the year, the number fell to about 350 reports per month.

Considering that there are far more flights than in early 2021, it's progress.

CNBC's calculations show that the number of in-flight outbursts before the Pandemic was 10 times a month.

The FAA monitors flights that depart from or arrive in the United States and found that masks were a factor in 3 out of 4 unruly passenger reports.

Sharona Hoffman is the co-director of the Law-Medicine Center at Case Western Reserve University School of Law.

Many of these people don't want to be told what to do, and flying is an environment where they are told what to do all the time.

People are used to thinking they’ll get an exception.

She said that rage in the skies is also a symptom of anger on the ground. Every video of an airline passenger losing it on a flight is followed by others at grocery stories, school board meetings and banks.

The stress of flying has been added to byvid measures. She said that all the things that used to distract and entertain people were removed.

Stress may be behind the increase in unruly behavior, according to Bryan Del Monte, president of The Aviation Agency.

He said that he doesn't punch out the flight attendant on an airplane because he is under a lot of stress.

Penalties can include fines, flight bans, federal criminal charges and jail time for threatening or interfering with a crewmember. With most passengers armed with video cameras on their phones, there is a risk of becoming the star of a viral video, which can lead to job dismissals and deportations.

It may be an act of bravery to another to cause a public uproar to one person.

The Aviation Agency’s Del Monte said people throw tantrum on flights “because they feel they can … We have a place for people who believe they can do whatever they want when they want. It’s called prison.”

Some people don't feel the rules apply to them, and that may be because they had vaccine mandates.

Although a lot is at stake for bad behavior on flights, people commit crimes all the time.

She said that most don't think they'll be caught or punished.

They could be correct.

According to the FAA, less than 30% of unruly passenger reports have been investigated and less than 15% have resulted in enforcement action. Del Monte said that it was higher than the 6% of reports that resulted in enforcement action.

The FAA told CNBC that enforcement action now includes proposed fines. In the past, it included warnings and counseling, but that ended under the FAA's zero tolerance policy.

“Fining these people is obviously not a deterrent. ... They’re judgment proof.

The maximum fines have increased from $25,000 to $37,000 per violation, and one incident can result in multiple violations, according to the FAA.

Del Monte said much more should be done.

He said that fining these people was not a deterrent. They are judgment proof.

He said that fewer people face criminal proceedings. The FAA does not have the authority to prosecute federal crimes on commercial aircraft.

Del Monte said unruly passenger reports will likely drop once mask mandates end.

The federal mandate for masks on major European airlines is set to end in the United States on April 18. Asia is expected to keep mandates in place longer. A culture of mask-wearing thatpredates the Pandemic has made it hard to find news of unruly flyers in the region.

Del Monte said incidents aren't likely to return to pre-pandemic numbers even with mandates gone.

The FAA said it proposed $5 million in fines against unruly passengers in 2021.

According to the FAA, about 28% of U.S. unruly passenger reports were not related to masks. Unruly passenger incidents increased 1,300% last year compared with the five years before the Pandemic, according to CNBC's calculations.

Sara Nelson, president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA, said in a statement published Feb. 15 that the most violent onboard attacks have nothing to do with masks.

Del Monte said that the problem isn't likely to go away soon.

He said that the ignoramus who is suddenly an expert on both epidemiology and the rule of law will be placated by lack of a mask.

Airlines may have to contend with another mask problem if flyers want the mandates to continue.

He said that they may replace those who refuse to wear a mask as unruly.