'Dry' flights end, but crews' gripes take off

When Southwest Airlines planes take to the air on Wednesday, so will the sale of alcoholic beverages onboard despite objections by union officials representing the airline's flight attendants, who said it could increase air-rage incidents.

Southwest's resumption of alcohol service on flights of at least 237 kilometers comes shortly after two separate incidents involving unruly passengers forced carriers to make emergency landings. It also follows a report by the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, that there has recently been a "disturbing increase" in airline passengers disrupting flights with threatening or violent behavior.

In January, the FAA said reports of unruly passengers were down 50 percent from the year before when it received nearly 6,000 reports of such behavior. The majority－4,290－were related to COVID-19 mask requirements.

In the first two weeks of this year, the agency said it was notified of 76 reports of unruly passengers. Just under half were mask-related. But as of Feb 8, the FAA said there have been 394 unruly passenger reports and 255 mask-related incidents this year.

Southwest stopped selling alcohol in March 2020 as the pandemic was taking hold in the United States, and then extended it last year to minimize the risk of passengers becoming rowdy or removing their masks.

The carrier said customers have expressed a desire for more beverage options. "So we're delighted to restore additional onboard offerings as a part of the Southwest hospitality that our customers know and love," the airline said.

The airline also said it would expand its nonalcoholic options.

'Unsafe' move

The union, representing more than 11,000 Southwest flight attendants, said in a statement that it was "outraged" at the resumption of alcohol sales, "a move we consider to be both unsafe and irresponsible".

American Airlines is the only major US airline still holding out on resuming alcohol sales. The FAA's investigations into aggressive behavior onboard have shown that alcohol is often a contributing factor. In July, the agency urged airport bars and restaurants to stop serving alcoholic drinks to go.

On Sunday, an American Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Washington DC made an emergency landing in Kansas City after a passenger attempted to enter the cockpit and open an exit door.

Under the current law, unruly behavior could land an offender up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $37,000. Last November, the FAA had referred 37 of the "most egregious" unruly passenger cases to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for criminal review, reported ABC News.

Wuke Zhang in Ohio contributed to this story.