The Federal Aviation Administration has proposed a $165,000 civil penalty against Alaska Airlines for allegedly allowing intoxicated passengers to board its flights.
Federal regulations prohibit airlines from allowing anyone who appears to be intoxicated to board an aircraft.
Alaska Airlines allegedly allowed intoxicated passengers to board flights 11 times between February 2024 and February 2025, the FAA said in a press release Tuesday.
In a statement, a spokesperson for the airline said it had fully participated in an FAA audit that investigated policies and practices related to intoxicated guests on board its aircraft.
As a result, Alaska Airlines made “meaningful changes,” including enhanced training for flight attendants and customer service agents, the airline said in its statement.
“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,” the statement said.
Alaska Airlines has several options in responding to the notice, including disputing the fine, the FAA said in an email. If the airline fails to reply within 30 days, challenging the fine is no longer an option.
The airline didn’t say whether it would challenge the fine.
