A Southwest Airways flight attendant misplaced two tooth in a bodily assault by a passenger on a airplane out of Sacramento, Calif., final weekend, based on a letter the flight attendant’s union despatched to the airline.
The union is asking on Southwest Airways to take steps to assist crew members management unruly passengers because the variety of misconduct incidents rises amid the pandemic. The union stated there have been 477 misconduct incidents by passengers on Southwest Airways plane between April 8 and Could 15.
“At the moment’s touring atmosphere requires a brand new degree of firmness in each tone and route to make sure correct management within the cabin of our plane because the attitudes and behaviors of the flying public have, sadly, declined,” the union stated. “It should be famous that Southwest Flight Attendants are doing all they’ll do to make sure compliance whereas making a protected atmosphere for all passengers and crew, however in addition they want the assist and instruments required to forestall harm to ourselves and others. We ask in your assist in directing Administration to assist Flight Attendants as they work to keep up order on the plane by giving them the good thing about the doubt.”
The airline confirmed in an announcement {that a} flight attendant was bodily assaulted by a passenger on Flight 700 from Sacramento to San Diego on the morning of Could 23.
The passenger repeatedly ignored normal in-flight directions, reminiscent of refusing to place the tray desk in an upright place and never carrying a seat belt, and have become verbally and bodily abusive upon touchdown, Southwest stated.
Police met the flight upon arrival in San Diego and the passenger was taken into custody.
FILE – A Southwest Airways jet lands at Oakland Worldwide Airport in Oakland, Calif., on Monday, April 6, 2020.
MediaNews Group/East Bay Occasions v/MediaNews Group through Getty Pictures“We don’t condone or tolerate verbal or bodily abuse of our Flight Crews, who’re accountable for the protection of our passengers,” Southwest Airways stated.
The Federal Aviation Administration stated Monday that airways have reported 2,500 incidents of unruly passengers this 12 months, together with 1,900 instances during which passengers refused to put on face masks, that are required by federal rule. The FAA offered these numbers because it introduced it was looking for civil penalties totaling $54,500 towards 5 passengers for habits starting from refusing to put on a masks to assaulting flight attendants.
The Related Press contributed to this story.
