A man was allegedly seen in a viral video punching a Southwest Airlines An employee after being turned away from a trip was charged with a battery.
Corney Drummond was arrested Tuesday in Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta international Airport.
His charges include battery, battery and obstruction, according to law enforcement.
Police said Mr Drummond had been turned away from a flight for “acting disorderly” and that the flight crew had “refused to comply” when a Southwest Airlines flight was on its way from the gate to the tarmac, prompting the plane to return to the airport. Gate.
After being removed from the plane, police said Mr. Drummond threatened and then punched the gate agent. The police arrested him around 9:19 p.m.
Southwest Airlines said in a statement independent that the company “has zero tolerance for any kind of assault on our employees or customers. As a result of this unprovoked attack, the individual was denied a flight with Southwest Airlines.”
“We commend the swift actions of the Southwest team that responded to protect their colleagues during this unacceptable event. We also appreciate the local law enforcement officers who responded to help, and we will fully support their investigation,” the company added.
The Clayton County Jail website states that Mr. Drummond, of Henderson, Nevada, is being held at the facility. It remains unclear if he has a lawyer speaking on his behalf.
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data shows a sharp increase in the number of accidents involving unruly passenger behavior. Last year, 1099 investigations were opened into incidents of disorderly passenger behavior as travel began to recover after COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, 183 investigations were launched because the closures limited travel. More investigations have already been conducted this year – 274 – than in all of 2020.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a zero-tolerance policy in January last year and began issuing fines rather than warnings to unruly travelers. The agency said in September that the number of accidents had decreased since the new law was introduced.
The agency proposed $5 million in fines to passengers last year. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, 66 percent of the accidents were related to the wearing of face masks.
The local 556 Transportation Workers of America Federation represents more than 16,000 members of the Southwest Task Force. They wrote a letter to Biden This week, she demanded that the federal mask mandate on public transportation be lifted. They noted the issues they face as they try to enforce the mandate.
“Working on board an aircraft during these controversial times and enforcing mask compliance is one of the most difficult jobs we have ever faced as flight attendants,” the union said in the letter. “The number of physical and verbal assaults in our workplace has increased dramatically, many of which are related to mask compliance.”
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