Breeze Airways Flight 704, departing Norfolk, Virginia, at 9:17 a.m. and bound for Los Angeles, diverted to Grand Junction, Colorado, on Aug. 13 after a 46-year-old unruly passenger broke free twice from restraints midair.
The Incident and FAA Reports
The unruly passenger became “agitated” mid-flight, shouting racist slurs and waving a skateboard. Flight attendants, with help from passengers, attempted to restrain him twice, but both attempts failed, according to the Grand Junction Police Department. The flight diversion occurred at about 11 a.m. local time.
After the flight landed in Grand Junction, police took the passenger into custody and transported him to the Mesa County Detention Facility. The flight remained on the ground in Grand Junction before departing at 6 p.m. local time with a fully new crew. An investigation has been opened regarding the in-flight disruption.
The Federal Aviation Administration, the U.S. civil aviation authority, reported more than 1,000 unruly passenger incidents in 2025 so far, down from a peak of about 6,000 in 2021 and 2,102 last year, though the number is still above pre-pandemic level and remain an ongoing challenge for flight crews. Read more here.
Consequences for unruly in-flight behaviour remain severe. Passengers can face felony charges, civil fines of up to $37,000 per violation, and may lose TSA PreCheck® privileges or be placed on airline no-fly lists. In serious cases, the FAA refers incidents to the FBI, which can pursue criminal charges. Federal rules also prohibit boarding while intoxicated or consuming alcohol not served by flight attendants, and interfering with a crew member’s duties which is a federal offence.
Operations Costs of Diversions
Flight diversions can cause fuel waste, disrupt connections, and trigger crew changes due to aviation flight duty period requirements, leading to extensive delays. For small, low-cost carriers like Breeze Airways, such operational disturbances can ripple across the network, affecting multiple flights.
Past in-flight disruption incidents illustrate the stakes: a 2016 Hawaiian Airlines A330 turnaround cost about $150,000, including fuel, maintenance, ground and flight crews, passengers re-booking on other flights, and nearly $47,000 in meal vouchers. In 2015, a Norwegian flight diverted over the Atlantic reportedly cost about 100,000 euros for operations and passenger accommodations.
Airlines face steep operational and financial costs from unruly passenger incidents, from diversions to legal consequences. Every incident underscores the high stakes of in-flight safety and the ripple effect disruptions can have across a network.
How far should airlines go to deter unruly passengers and what is an acceptable consequence for disruption? Share your thoughts in the comments.
