An American Airlines flight attendant experienced broken bones in her face after being punched by an unruly passenger in one of the worst attacks on an employee in the company’s history.
The incident took place during flight 976 from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York traveling to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. The incident led to the flight stopping in Denver where the passenger was arrested.
The attack reportedly occurred after the flight attendant accidentally bumped into a man while walking down the aisle in the first-class cabin. She promptly apologized, but the man stood up, confronted the attendant, and punched her in the face.
The passenger was detained in Denver. The attendant was taken to a local hospital for treatment for reported broken bones in her face and was later released.
“Last night, @AmericanAir had one of the worst displays we’ve seen, when a passenger violently assaulted one of our flight attendants. Thankfully, our flight attendant is recovering and we are making sure she and her fellow crew members have the support they need,” Parker said.
“The passenger, however, will never be allowed to fly American again and we are doing everything we can to ensure they are prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. But at the end of the day, while these interactions are not the norm, even one is too many, and they must stop,” he added.
Julie Hedrick, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, said more must be done to protect the safety of flight attendants.
The incident is one of a growing number of conflicts to take place on passenger airlines in recent months.
A Southwest Airlines flight attendant allegedly was assaulted by a passenger during a flight and lost several teeth, according to the president of the Southwest Airlines flight attendants’ union.
TWU Local 556 President Lyn Montgomery said that over the past weekend, “one of our flight attendants was seriously assaulted, resulting in injuries to the face and a loss of two teeth.”
“I write to you today because we cannot tolerate our beloved cohearts [sic] being abused in such a manner, and because I am asking for your help and leadership in ending these travesties,” her letter stated. “One tool to better utilize would be the Southwest Airlines restricted travelers list,” it added. “The flying public needs to understand that egregious behavior will result in being banned from flying with Southwest Airlines.”
