The FAA has proposed a $165,000 civil penalty against Alaska Airlines for allegedly allowing intoxicated passengers to board its flights.
According to a statement released by the agency on Tuesday, there were 11 incidents of intoxicated individuals flying on the Seattle-based carrier between February 2024 and February 2025.
FAA regulations prohibit airlines from allowing persons who appear intoxicated to board an aircraft. Flight crews and gate agents are taught to look for signs of intoxication, such as slurred speech and stumbling.
The airline was notified through an FAA enforcement letter and has 30 days to respond.
“We take seriously our responsibility to provide a safe and secure environment for our guests and employees,” the airline said in a statement to FLYING. “We participated fully with the FAA’s audit of our policies and practices as it relates to intoxicated guests on board our aircraft. 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. 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.”
