American Airlines Says Miami Disturbance Saw Passenger Assault Staffer

A passenger attacked an airline staffer leaving her unconscious in a pool of blood on the jet bridge after he was asked to leave his plane at Miami International Airport, according to reports.

The incident happened just outside an American Airlines plane that was supposed to take off from the airport in Florida at 7:15 p.m. bound for LaGuardia Airport in New York on Monday. But the alleged assault saw the flight delayed for several hours, meaning it was rescheduled to depart in the early hours of Tuesday instead.

According to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, violence disrupting flights is "an ongoing problem and airlines have seen rapid growth in occurrences since 2021." In fact, the nation's airlines dealt with almost 500 unruly passengers in just one month in 2022, the FAA revealed. A spokesperson for the federal body previously told Newsweek that the FAA has a "zero-tolerance policy" on travelers who assault crew members. One study suggested the increasing rate of misconduct is likely caused by alcohol consumption. Just this month, a passenger on a Russian flight threatened to blow up the plane unless he was given more vodka.

With regards to Monday's incident in Miami, a spokesperson for American Airlines told Newsweek in an emailed statement on Tuesday: "Yesterday evening, law enforcement was requested at Miami International Airport due to a disturbance on the jet bridge where a customer physically assaulted a team member.

"Acts of violence against our colleagues are not tolerated by American Airlines and we are committed to working closely with law enforcement in their investigation. Our thoughts are with our team member, and we are ensuring they have the support they need at this time."

The drama unfolded when the passenger was asked to leave his seat on the plane and return to the gate, another flyer who witnessed the incident told The Messenger news website. According to that source, who was not named, the pilot made an announcement to the plane explaining what had happened and apparently claimed the staff member had been knocked unconscious.

The pilot is said to have told the travellers: "We have had an incident on our plane. We were trying to eject a deranged man when he got angry and struck our [gate agent] and she is passed out. It is very serious. She is currently on the floor." The walkway between the plane and the terminal building was covered in a significant amount of blood, the pilot is said to have added.

Newsweek has reached out to Miami Dade Police Department by email seeking further information and comment.