The Trump administration has backed United Airline’s ban on passengers not using headphones while watching films and listening to music during flights.
United Airlines confirmed that it had revised its contract of carriage, to include its right to remove passengers “who fail to use headphones while listening to audio or video content”.
According to USA Today, United amended its conditions of service on February 27, 2026. The airline said that new Wi-Fi rules were already encouraging customers to use headphones.
In a statement to the news publication, United acknowledged that, with the “expansion of Starlink, it seemed like a good time to make that even clearer by adding it to the contract of carriage”.
The move has received the backing of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who has been taking an increasingly combatant approach to anti-social flyers.
Posting on social media on March 5, 2026, Secretary Duffy wrote: “Everyone deserves a little peace at 35,000 feet… remember CIVILITY IS THE BEST CARRY-ON. Using headphones on board is a sign of RESPECT for your fellow passengers. I want to know what you think of @united’s new rule?”
Other abuses that could see United passengers removed from an aircraft include failure to comply with, or else interfere with, the duties of the members of the flight crew. Also targeted are passengers who prove unwilling or unable to follow United’s policy on smoking.
