The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $165,000 fine against Alaska Airlines, accusing the company of allowing intoxicated passengers to board flights.
The federal agency said the incidents occurred 11 times between February 2024 and February 2025, Reuters reported.
Specific details about the alleged incidents were not provided, the Anchorage Daily News reported.
The FAA prohibits anyone who appears to be intoxicated from boarding an aircraft.
Alaska Airlines said it cooperated with the government’s review of its policies on intoxicated passengers and takes the issue seriously.
“Since the FAA shared these concerns with us over a year ago, we made meaningful changes to ensure compliance with the FAA’s expectations – including enhanced training for all flight attendants and customer service agents,” the company said, according to Reuters. “We respect the results of the FAA’s audit and are confident in the changes that have been in place for the last year to ensure our shared standards are being met.”
Alaska Airlines has 30 days from receipt of an FAA enforcement letter to respond.
Typically, an airline can either pay a fine levied by the FAA or challenge it, including asking for a hearing, Anchorage Daily News reported.
Alaska Airlines has not said how it would respond, the newspaper reported.