Unruly passengers face nearly $162,000 in new fines, FAA says

From CNN | Travel News by Pete Muntean and Gregory Wallace, CNN

Drunk passengers berating fellow travelers and abusing flight crews are facing new federal penalties as high as $40,000 for their alleged behavior.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced fines for eight passengers on Monday totaling $161,823, the third highest set of fines since the agency announced a zero-tolerance policy for unruly on-board behavior earlier this year.

Flight crews have reported more than 5,200 cases of unruly passengers to the FAA since January 1 and the agency "has received nearly 300 reports of passenger disturbances due to alcohol and intoxication."

Photo by Chandan Khanna / AFP via Getty Images

Read More at CNN | Travel