The Trump administration's overhaul of air travel is extending to travelers themselves.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy launched a new civility campaign titled "The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You" this week, seeking to address the recent surge in unruly passenger incidents and general bad vibes surrounding air travel.
"There’s no question we’ve lost sight of what makes travel fun—the excitement, the relaxation, the cordial conversations," DOT said in a press release on Wednesday.
"Americans already feel divided and stressed. We can all do our part to bring back civility, manners, and common sense. When we can unite around shared values, we can feel more connected as a country."
DOT is asking travelers to look inward this busy holiday travel period, citing a disconcerting uptick in violence.
Since 2019, the FAA has seen a 400 percent increase in in-flight outbursts, while there have been 13,800 unruly passenger incidents reported since 2021.
As many as one in five flight attendants experienced physical incidents in 2021 and 2024 saw double the number of unruly passenger events compared with 2019, the department confirmed.
As a result, Duffy is asking travelers to look after their fellow passengers, consider their attire, mind their children and traveling companions and use good manners. He posed these five questions to Americans:
- Are you helping a pregnant woman or the elderly with placing their bags in the overhead bin?
- Are you dressing with respect?
- Are you keeping control of your children and helping them through the airport?
- Are you saying thank you to your flight attendants?
- Are you saying please and thank you in general?
This latest campaign builds on ongoing efforts by DOT, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and other agencies to enhance safety and the overall air travel experience by implementing family-friendly TSA programs, overhauling air traffic control operations and more.
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