by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 11:25 AM ET, Thu December 11, 2025
The Transportation Security Administration posted a stern warning on X (formerly Twitter) for travelers to be on their best behavior when going through airport security checkpoints ahead of the busy holiday travel period.
The post reads “Passengers who engage in unruly behavior at the checkpoint or inflight may face substantial penalties and possible prosecution on criminal charges.”
The warning came with an apparent screenshot of an airport TSA electronic billboard or TV screen warning travelers that threats, verbal abuse, or other harassment of TSA security officials could come with a hefty fine of nearly $14,000.
This winter holiday travel season is expected to bring a new record of travelers. AAA predicts 122.4 million Americans will take to the roads and the skies this year, a 2.2 percent increase from last winter.
Crimes committed in the air are also classified as federal crimes, which often come with hefty fines and greater prison sentences. Unruly passenger incidents while in the air spiked during the pandemic era, with a 492 percent increase in incidents in 2021 from the year before.
While the number remains much lower now, at around 1,500-some incidents in 2025, it’s still above the incidents recorded annually for 2017-2020.
This year alone, the government has levied some $2.2 million in fines against unruly passengers.
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