It’s been a rough year for some Transportation Security Administration employees.
Air travel is picking back up to pre-pandemic levels, but the number of incidents with violent passengers has increased in tandem. The Federal Aviation Administration has initiated nearly 500 investigations into “unruly passenger” incidents so far this year, more than three times the total number in 2019.
The TSA called the incidents “troubling” in a Thursday statement, adding the agency reported similar incidents at checkpoints across the country. To help deter assaults, the agency is bringing back self-defense training for flight crews.
Preparing for the worst
The training, which was on pause due to COVID restrictions, is led by federal air marshals and is