The Unruly American Airlines Passenger: Cayla Farris’ Costly Onboard Incident

A 29-year-old American Airlines passenger, Cayla Farris, has been fined a whopping $440,000 for causing a disturbance and making threats to the crew during a flight from Phoenix to Honolulu in 2022. After disrupting the flight and causing the crew to be unable to continue their duties, Farris was sentenced to 3.6 months in prison and three years of supervised probation. She pleaded guilty in September of this year. American Airlines stated that her behavior led to the flight being rerouted to Phoenix, causing disruptions for other flights as well.

This incident is not an isolated one, as there have been previous cases of passengers exhibiting unruly behavior on flights. For instance, an American Airlines flight was diverted last year when a passenger released pepper spray in the entire cabin. Similarly, in 2022, a passenger was arrested for breaking into the cockpit and attempting to damage the controls, leading to the flight being diverted. Another case involved a woman named Tiffany Gomas, who disrupted a flight by claiming she saw someone who was not “real” and was also fined for her behavior.

Flight attendants have expressed the challenges of dealing with passengers who have consumed excessive alcohol, and it is still unknown whether Farris was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the incident.