Department of Transportation Urges Passengers to Act with More Civility

The campaign has provoked mixed reactions from travelers and officials alike.

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – While some recent instructions from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have raised eyebrows, experts say that it is true that people can be frazzled when flying.

“You have to remember that for most travelers, flying is such an aberration to their usual activity that anything that adds to the stress can be a nightmare,” said Skyler McKinley, AAA representative for North Dakota.

Secretary Duffy announced a civility campaign on Wednesday, calling it “The Golden Age of Travel Starts with You.”

The DOT published statistics to back up the claim that passengers need to be nicer, saying that since 2019, the FAA has seen a 400% increase of in-flight outbursts, and that 1 in 5 flight attendants experienced physical incidents in 2021.

Shawn Dobberstein heads up the Hector International Airport Authority, and he says while the board is very excited for the impending completion of construction, that does mean that people will need to build in extra time to navigate the airport properly.

“It’s disrupted the center part of our terminal building, so getting from baggage claim back over to the ticket counters and so forth, it can be a bit of a challenge,” he said.

All in all, they say while some of the campaign is strange, the basic message of being kind and patient is a good one to emphasize.