A passenger was thrown to the floor by a flight attendant while allegedly trying to enter the cockpit after accosting the pilot, in an angry encounter which took place after a two-hour delay on departure.
The woman, apparently a business-class passenger, saw a pilot go to the loo and decided to question him about the delay. She allegedly confronted the pilot and then followed him to the cockpit. A flight attendant thought she was trying to enter the restricted space and tackled the woman to the floor. The woman is said to have threatened the flight attendant, who spoke Portuguese, by saying: “Have you no shame? I’ll kick you in the balls.”
Her husband then sprung to his feet to complain about the situation. He was initially calmed down by other cabin crew members but when his partner was pushed to the back of the plane, heated words were exchanged. He seemed to repeatedly tell her to “stop” and “keep quiet”.
The woman also allegedly made homophobic remarks to one of the flight attendants. The chaotic scenes were filmed on an American Airlines flight from São Paulo International Airport, Brazil, to New York, US, last Thursday.
According to business class passengers who witnessed the row, the woman and her husband were both kicked off the flight. American Airlines has been approached for comment.
Last month, Brazilian actress Ingrid Guimarães claimed she was forced to move seats during an American Airlines flight from New York to Rio de Janeiro.
She was already in her seat in premium economy when a flight attendant informed her that a business class passenger had a broken chair and would take her place. When she refused to move to economy, she was allegedly threatened with a ban from the airline.
She said: “Little by little, three people appeared threatening me, saying that the flight would not leave and that everyone would have to get off because of me.” The airline later apologised to the actress and vowed to investigate the matter.
According to the UK Civil Aviation Authority, disruptive passengers can face prison sentences. A spokesperson said: “Passengers who are rude or aggressive can be highly disruptive and distressing for cabin crew and fellow travellers. This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable and can pose a risk to aircraft safety.
“Disruptive passengers can lead to planes being diverted and, where this happens, the disruptive passengers themselves risk having to pay the cost of the diversion. They can also face criminal charges with severe penalties or even prison sentences.”
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