LOS ANGELES — An American Airlines passenger was arrested after allegedly assaulting a flight attendant on a flight from San José del Cabo, Mexico, to Los Angeles, Calif., the Association of Professional Flight Attendants confirmed to WFAA Thursday.
The association said "a passenger exhibited violent behavior towards a flight attendant" and "the crew and passengers subdued the passenger, and the flight landed safely."
Video obtained by Los Angeles ABC affiliate KABC shows the passenger punch the flight attendant in the back of the head while they were in the aisle. In the video, the flight attendant appears to talk to the passenger before turning his back.
Then, the video shows the passenger walking toward the flight attendant, punching him in the back of the head and walking away as others are heard gasping.
Watch the video here, courtesy of KABC:
"This violent behavior puts the safety of all passengers and crew in jeopardy and must stop," the association said in a written statement. "APFA fully supports the affected crew members, and will do all possible to ensure that the passenger faces prosecution to the fullest extent of the law.”
American Airlines headquarters is based in Fort Worth. Earlier this week, the airline made headlines after it said hackers used a phishing campaign to breach employee email accounts, gaining access to some customer information.
The airline also recently unveiled first-class seating on long-haul flights in favor of new suites aimed at improving the flying experience for high-end and business travelers, the Dallas Business Journal reported.
American Airlines sent WFAA the following statement:
“American Airlines flight 377 with service from San José del Cabo (SJD) to Los Angeles (LAX) was met by law enforcement upon arrival due to an unruly passenger who physically assaulted a flight attendant. The aircraft landed safely and taxied to the gate where law enforcement removed the individual. Acts of violence against our team members are not tolerated by American Airlines. The individual involved in this incident will never be allowed to travel with us in the future, and we will work closely with law enforcement in their investigation. We thank our crew for their quick action and professionalism to ensure the safety of their fellow team members and customers on board. Our thoughts are with our injured flight attendant, and we are ensuring that they and their fellow crew members have the support they need at this time.”
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