American flight is diverted to Denver after a passenger assaulted a flight attendant.

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4 years ago

An American Airlines flight was diverted to Denver Wednesday night after a passenger “physically assaulted a flight attendant,” the carrier said in a statement.

The airline said Flight 976, which departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and was headed to Santa Ana, California, landed safely in Denver, where police “removed and detained the passenger,” CNN reported.

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“We are working with the appropriate authorities to support our team member and ensure that an appropriate outcome is achieved, and the person involved in this incident will not be allowed to travel with us in the future.”

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) adopted a zero-tolerance policy for unruly passengers aboard flights earlier this year. The agency said in August that it had issued more than $1 million in fines to unruly passengers in 2021.

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A passenger was fined US$45,000 in August as he was accused of throwing his luggage at another passenger and, while lying on the aisle floor, “grabbed a flight attendant by the ankles and shoved her head up her skirt.”

An Association of Flight Attendants survey released in July found that, of the 5,000 flight attendants surveyed, 85% said they had dealt with unruly passengers in 2021.

Disruptive passengers had used sexist, racist and/or homophobic language, according to 61%, while 17% said they had been the victim of a physical attack this year.

Photo. Russell Lee/Wikipedia