By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – The U.S. Transportation Security Administration has proposed $644 398 in penalties for 922 COVID-19 violators from February 2021 to commercial flight, train station or public transit service operators. This is a significant increase in the last months.

According to the government report https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-22-104583?utm_campaign=usgao_email&utm_content=topic_transportation&utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery, all but 44 of the TSA fines were for failing to wear masks as required on airplanes or, less often, in airports. Rest of the fines were for passengers who weren’t wearing masks on surface transport like rail or bus.

After more than 7,000 incidents reported since transit mask regulations were implemented, the agency stated that it had also sent warnings out to over 2,700 travellers.

TSA issued warnings of more than 2200 people and proposed $85,990 to fine 190 maskbreakers in late October. TSA stated last week it will continue to enforce mask regulations at airports, and on aircrafts, through April 18.

The Federal Aviation Administration has been investigating reports from 6,800 passengers who were unruly, including 4,800 that they did not wear masks. The FAA has launched 450 investigations, and has proposed fines of more than $5,000,000.

TSA Fines: $501,388 for 788 incidents onboard, an average $636

TSA issued 18 civil sanctions for non-wearing masks at airport screenings. This amounts to $57.065 on average or $3.170, along with 160 additional penalties at airports that total $57.795, according to a Government Accountability Office (GAO). Additional 44 were issued for incidents involving surface transport totaling $28,150.

In the House of Representatives, last year two U.S. senators revealed that TSA had issued only $2,350 in total penalties to 10 passengers between mid-September and despite thousands of travel reports indicating otherwise.

TSA issued a November information circular to aviation professionals

Transportation operators were asked to provide details about the information they needed “for an investigation” and their best practices in obtaining that information (e.g., from witnesses to incidents), according to GAO.