An American Airlines passenger was arrested after “being combative” on a flight from Los Angeles to Salt Lake City on Labor Day.
The incident took place on Monday around 12:48 p.m. on Flight 1802, when a 61-year-old man began growling and hissing at an Asian passenger, who was reportedly standing to deal with her back problems.
Dennis Busch, one of the passengers on the flight, shared two videos to Twitter documenting the incident. “It was very uncomfortable. She started to cry and I realized this was going to be more than one racist outburst,” Busch revealed.
The man, who was also seen chewing his mask, then began berating the flight attendants, and at one point, attempted to enter the galley. However, he was blocked by a flight attendant who ordered him to return to his seat.
According to a press release from the Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD), the airline staff described the passenger, a Las Vegas resident, “as being combative while on the flight.”
Throughout the pandemic, there has been a rise in unruly passengers, which has resulted in other passengers stepping in to help flight crew members deal with the disruption.
However, Busch revealed the American Airlines employees asked passengers to refrain from approaching the man.
“You could just feel the anxiety in the whole cabin as everyone tensed up not knowing what was going to happen,” he explained.
“The flight crew asked us to not engage, and I think everyone could see that we were probably in the midst of a loose cannon.”
When the hour and a half flight landed, the SLCPD boarded the plane and took the passenger into custody.
“When he was taken off and we could no longer see him, there was a long pause of relief. I stopped recording and everyone clapped,” Busch said.
The unruly passenger was then transported by paramedics to a local hospital. He later received a criminal citation for public intoxication and disorderly conduct.
American Airlines told pilots to conserve fuel in light of a supply crunch Photo: AFP / CHANDAN KHANNA
