- A Delta Air Lines flight from Miami to Atlanta was forced to return to the gate after a female passenger refused to comply with the airline’s mask policy.
- After a heated exchange with one of the flight attendants, the passenger punched the crew member in the face.
- Police were called in to escort the passenger off the aircraft.
- Subscribe to our daily newsletter for travel and aviation news and reviews.
Months after Delta (and virtually every other airline) implemented mandatory on-board mask policies, passengers are still misbehaving as evidenced in the following incident.
On October 19, a Delta Air Lines flight headed from Miami to Atlanta was forced to return to the gate after one passenger refused to wear her mask. Passengers were dismayed the learn that their flight which was already delayed by three hours would have to return to the gate because of the passenger’s non-compliance.
A number of passengers, including two journalists who were traveling to cover the election campaigns, reported that a female passenger had become hostile after being told that she would need to de-board the aircraft for failing to comply with the airline’s mask policy.
BBC reporter Suzanne Kianpour who was on the flight was able to share video showing the heated verbal exchange between two belligerent passengers and flight attendant. At that point the female passenger became physically aggressive and slapped the cabin crew member in her face.
“Been stuck on the tarmac in Miami heading to Atlanta as we continue on the Elections 2020 campaign trail. A passenger on this Delta
flight refuses policy to wear mask. Then won’t get off plane. Then hits flight attendant. Announcement that Miami Dade police on their way.”
https://www.facebook.com/aflyguyslounge/posts/2910535995714373
At that point other passengers and a male flight attendant stepped in to control the situation. BBC journalist Kathy Kay also reported that the Miami Dade police were called in to escort the unruly passenger off the aircraft.
“The police have boarded the aircraft. The passenger does now seem to be leaving. The Delta flight attendants handled it with remarkable patience and good humor.”
The Atlanta-bound flight eventually departed some 4 hours and 15 minutes later.
[Featured Photo: ERIC SALARD/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0) ]
