Air travel is already stressful enough during the coronavirus pandemic, but the passengers aboard a Spirit Airlines flight on Thursday got even more than they bargained for when a violent brawl forced the plane to make an emergency landing.
An argument broke out between two passengers after one accused the other of being too loud. The argument quickly turned physical.
Another passenger had filmed the altercation, which showed not only the violent confrontation but the number of passengers aboard the plane, which concerned many of those on board.
"Everyone was like, 'Why aren't you doing anything?' [Flight attendants] were like, 'We don't get paid enough to deal with this," the anonymous Michigan woman told Click on Detroit.
Eventually, pilots made an emergency landing in Des Moines, Iowa, where the plane was met by local authorities. The two passengers were able to change out of their bloodied clothes and were eventually allowed to re-board the plane.
According to Iowa law enforcement, they did not have jurisdiction to arrest the passengers. The witness claimed the flight was delayed for two hours before it continued to Michigan. She was given a refund by the airline.
"They didn't clean the blood," she said. "Sat there for two hours, everyone sucking everyone's coronavirus."
In a statement to Fox News, Spirit Airlines condemned the passengers' actions.
"We are aware of a physical altercation onboard Flight Number 709 Los Angeles (LAX) to Detroit (DTW) that caused a diversion to Des Moines. Taking care of our Guests and Team Members is and always has been our absolute priority. Spirit Airlines does not tolerate any type of physical altercation onboard our aircraft and appropriate action will be taken. We thank the law enforcement officers in Des Moines for their assistance upon arrival."
Additionally, Spirit Airlines has reached out to TravelPulse noting the inaccuracies of the witness' statements.
"Our Flight Attendants did try to de-escalate the situation. They had to back off when it got dangerous. Our Flight Attendants did clean the area with our onboard biohazard supply kits. Unlike what some coverage has stated, the air conditioning onboard was running while the aircraft was on the ground. The flight was not packed (roughly three quarters filled). On this flight our agents had blocked open middle seats prior to check-in to help create distance between guests."
Additional information on Spirit Airlines' coronavirus safety measure can be found here.
Topics From This Article to Explore
