Federal officials said the incidents occurred on 11 flights and could pose a safety risk to passengers and crew.
WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration is threaten Alaska Airlines has been fined $165,000 in civil penalties for allegedly allowing intoxicated passengers to board its flights nearly a dozen times in a year.
Federal regulations prohibit airlines from allowing passengers who appear to be intoxicated to board their flights due to potential safety risks.
The FAA alleged that the airline allowed violations on 11 flights between February 2024 and February 2025.
Alaska Airlines said in a statement statement Alaska Public Media has learned the company was fully involved in a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) audit that examined the airline’s policies and practices related to intoxicated passengers.
The airline said it has since made “meaningful changes” including enhanced training for flight attendants and customer service agents.
“We respect the results of the FAA’s audit and are confident in the changes we made last year to ensure our shared standards are met,” the airline said in a statement.
The Federal Aviation Administration announced the proposed penalties on Tuesday and said Alaska Airlines has 30 days to respond after receiving the agency’s enforcement letter.
The FAA told Alaska Public Media the airline could contest the charges, negotiate with the agency or pay the proposed fine. If the airline does not respond within 30 days, it may lose the opportunity to dispute the fine.
Alaska Airlines did not say whether it plans to contest the proposed penalties.
