American Airlines passenger arrested for attacking flight attendant

Video captured by one other traveler and shared with a local news station seems to indicate a flight attendant asking somebody on the aircraft in the event that they have been threatening him. When he circled and walked up the aisle, the passenger ran up behind him and punched him behind the pinnacle as witnesses screamed.

You shouldn’t confront unruly passengers — but there are exceptions

“Acts of violence towards our group members usually are not tolerated by American Airways,” the airline stated in a press release. “The person concerned on this incident won’t ever be allowed to journey with us sooner or later, and we’ll work intently with regulation enforcement of their investigation.”

American stated regulation enforcement officers met the aircraft when it landed and eliminated the passenger, who has not been recognized. The assertion thanked the crew members and stated the airline was giving them the help they want.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation didn’t instantly reply to requests for remark. Ciaran McEvoy, spokesperson for the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace within the Central District of California, stated in an e mail that an arrest had been made and that the federal prosecutor’s workplace was working with the FBI.

In response to the Affiliation of Skilled Flight Attendants, which represents greater than 24,000 American Airways staff, passengers and crew members subdued the attacker. Julie Hedrick, the union’s nationwide president, referred to as the assault “harmful, life-threatening habits.”

“This violent habits places the protection of all passengers and crew in jeopardy and should cease,” the assertion stated.

The variety of unruly passenger instances spiked earlier through the pandemic, particularly as flight attendants needed to implement the now-dropped federal masks mandate.

In one of many worst assaults, a Southwest Airlines flight attendant was repeatedly punched within the face, leaving her with a number of chipped enamel in Could 2021. The passenger was charged with two felonies. In October 2021, an American Airlines flight attendant suffered broken bones in her face and needed to be hospitalized after an alleged assault by a passenger.

In response to data from the Federal Aviation Administration, the company obtained 5,981 experiences of unruly passenger incidents final 12 months, began 1,113 investigations and started enforcement motion in 350 instances.

Via earlier this week, the company has gotten 1,973 unruly passenger experiences this 12 months, began 680 investigations and initiated enforcement motion in 468 instances.

Earlier this month, a New York lady was sentenced to four months in federal prison for disruptive habits that led an American Airways flight to be diverted final 12 months.