The chief executive of Delta Air Lines wants the federal government to put unruly passengers on a federal no-fly list that would bar them from commercial flights.

In a letter to the attorney general, Merrick B. Garland, the executive, Ed Bastian, said the government should put passengers who were convicted of disrupting flights on a no-fly list. Mr. Bastian argued that would be a “much-needed step” toward addressing a spike in violence aboard planes that has threatened flight safety during the coronavirus pandemic.

“This action will help prevent future incidents and serve as a strong symbol of the consequences of not complying with crew member instructions on commercial aircraft,” Mr. Bastian said in the letter, which was sent on Thursday.