Sexual assaults on airplanes are rising, study shows – and researchers worry we don’t know the full scope

A new study has found a sharp rise in reported sexual assaults on U.S. flights – but researchers and advocates warn that those numbers likely represent only a fraction of what actually occurs.

In 2024, the FBI investigated more than 170 cases of airplane passengers who harassed other passengers, up from roughly 130 the year before, according to an investigation by CBS News.

While the 170 cases represent a small fraction of the millions of people who fly each year, the increase has alarmed experts who fear the true number of assaults is far higher.

Many incidents never reach federal authorities because most are handled by local airport police and are never formally reported to the FBI.

One victim is Renee Solofra, who told CBS News she was assaulted during a flight from Chicago to Florida in September 2023. She said the man seated next to her was visibly intoxicated and repeatedly touched her without consent.

“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,” she said. “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.”

Solofra reported the assault to the gate agent when they landed and she pressed charges against Daniel McAdams, who pleaded guilty to battery.

“It affected my job, it affected my life. I was scared to travel,” Solofra said of the incident. “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.”

The CBS News investigation also found that many assaults occur on long-distance or international flights, often at night and frequently when alcohol is involved.

Sara Nelson, international president of the Association of Flight Attendants, told CBS News that flight attendants are usually the first to receive reports, which are then passed along 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,” she said.

So now, Solofra is urging other victims to report their incidents. She has also filed a lawsuit against American Airlines, to obtain that accountability.

“Silence only protects the aggressor,” she said. “There needs to be reform and we’re not going to stop until that reform happens.”

In response to Solofra’s lawsuit, a spokesperson for American Airlines told CBS News in a statement: “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.”

Daisy Ayllón, who is a partner with the law firm Romaucci & Blandin, which represents about a dozen women who say they were sexually assaulted on airplanes, told CBS News that underreporting is built into the system.

“The sad thing about this is that people don’t know that this is happening consistently,” she said. “There is no system currently that requires the airlines to actually report the numbers,” she added.

“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.”