Sharp Increase in Reported Sexual Assaults on US Flights
A new study has uncovered a concerning surge in reported sexual assaults occurring on commercial flights within the United States. According to an investigation by CBS News, the Federal Bureau of Investigation probed more than 170 cases involving passengers assaulting fellow travelers during 2024. This figure represents a significant 30 percent increase from the approximately 130 cases investigated during the previous year.
Experts Warn Reported Numbers Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg
While these 170 cases constitute a tiny percentage of the millions of passengers who fly annually, aviation safety experts and victim advocates express deep alarm. They caution that the official statistics likely capture only a fraction of the actual assaults taking place at 30,000 feet. The primary reason for this discrepancy lies in the fragmented reporting system currently in place.
Many incidents are never escalated to federal authorities, as they are initially handled by local airport police departments and may never be formally logged with the FBI. This creates a substantial gap in national data and obscures the true scale of the problem.
Personal Account Highlights Trauma and Systemic Failures
The human cost of this epidemic is illustrated by the experience of Renee Solofra. She recounted to CBS News being assaulted during a September 2023 flight from Chicago to Florida. The man seated beside her, who appeared intoxicated, engaged in a series of non-consensual touches.
"I already had the back of my neck grabbed; I had my hand grabbed; I’d had my cellphone taken out of my hand and had to take it back from the individual," Solofra described. "We were close to landing and at that point in time, I had crossed my arms on my lap, closed my eyes and was just thinking to myself, ‘we’re finally going to land.’ And that’s when he grabbed my breast."
After landing, Solofra reported the assault to a gate agent and pressed charges. The perpetrator, Daniel McAdams, later pleaded guilty to battery. The aftermath was profoundly disruptive. "It affected my job, it affected my life. I was scared to travel," Solofra explained. "I had to try to have my voice heard, and the amounts of counseling and therapy that I’ve gone through — and I’ve never gone through therapy before in my life. It turned my world upside down."
Patterns of Assault and Challenges in Accountability
The CBS News investigation identified common patterns in these assaults. They frequently occur on long-haul or international flights, often during nighttime hours, and regularly involve alcohol consumption. Sara Nelson, International President of the Association of Flight Attendants, noted that cabin crew are typically the first to receive reports, which are then supposed to be passed to authorities at the destination airport.
"Anywhere in that chain, if someone dismisses it as ‘no big deal,’ there’s not the kind of response that’s necessary to have accountability," Nelson warned.
In response to her ordeal, Solofra has become an advocate, urging other victims to come forward. She has also initiated a lawsuit against American Airlines, seeking greater accountability. "Silence only protects the aggressor," she asserted. "There needs to be reform and we’re not going to stop until that reform happens."
American Airlines, in a statement provided to CBS News regarding the litigation, said: "The safety and security of our customers and team members remains our top priority. At this time, we are unable to comment on active litigation."
Systemic Underreporting Built into Aviation Protocols
Legal professionals working on these cases point to fundamental flaws in the reporting architecture. Daisy Ayllón, a partner with the law firm Romaucci & Blandin, which represents numerous women alleging in-flight sexual assault, explained the systemic issue to CBS News.
"The sad thing about this is that people don’t know that this is happening consistently," Ayllón stated. "There is no system currently that requires the airlines to actually report the numbers. So, the numbers that the FBI has, those numbers are exclusively from victims who are deciding to come forward and they’re making a report. But we know that there’s more victims out there because the airlines receive those complaints. The airlines are speaking to the passengers directly, and the airlines are not reporting those numbers to the FBI. So there are a lot of gaps in information."
This lack of a mandatory, centralized reporting requirement for airlines means a significant volume of incidents remains hidden from official view, preventing a comprehensive understanding of the issue and hindering the development of effective preventative measures.
