Fistfight USA - USA Today

 

Fistfight breaks out onboard Southwest flight, passengers face up to $37,000 in fines

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KATHLEEN WONG   USA TODAY

15 hours 

Two passengers who got into a fistfight on a Southwest Airlines flight Monday are facing criminal charges of up to $37,000, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

The "disruptive" incident occurred onboard SW flight 1288, en route from Oakland to Lihue, Kauai, a Southwest Airlines spokesperson told USA TODAY.

In a video of the incident, a male passenger stands at a window seat with a woman in the middle seat. He slaps the arm of another male passenger standing in the aisle, saying, "Shut the f*ck up." The other passenger retaliates by punching him several times. A flight attendant and other bystanders break the two men up.

Another passenger on the flight told Hawaii News Now he "heard yelling, screaming and punches. I turned around and saw one man bleeding and then the other man being separated."

"Frankly, I was a little nervous because we’re 35,000 feet, and you’ve got two guys swinging at each other, which makes no sense whatsoever."

The flight crew reported the "passenger disturbance" to the FAA, which will investigate the incident, the agency told USA TODAY.

Unruly passenger on your flight? Here's what to do

As part of the FAA's Reauthorization Bill, unruly passengers can face fines up to $37,000 and be prosecuted on criminal charges.

The flight landed at Lihue Airport at 1:47 p.m. without incident. Kauai Police Department officers responded to the scene to assist Lihue Airport Security but no arrest was made because the incident did not occur under KPD jurisdiction, the police department told USA TODAY.

"We commend our crew and customers for their professionalism in defusing this situation. Our number one priority is the safety and well-being of our customers and employees," the airline said.

Earlier this month, on a JetBlue flight, passengers had to help restrain another unruly passenger who behaved "erratically and aggressively" toward his travel companion.

As of Feb. 11, the FAA has received 206 reports of unruly passengers for 2024.