Passenger assaults flight attendant, banned for life on American Airlines

A Denver airport official confirmed that the flight, which departed from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, was diverted to Denver on its way to John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana, California.

“American Airlines Flight 976 with service from New York to Santa Ana was diverted to Denver due to a passenger physically assaulting a flight attendant. The aircraft landed safely and proceeded to the gate where the police removed and detained the passenger, ”the airline said in a statement.

The flight attendant suffered injuries and was taken to a local hospital, the airline said.

The responsible passenger will not be able to access American Airlines flights, the airline said.

The FBI is investigating.

American Airlines issued this statement in response to the incident:

We are outraged by the reports of what happened on board. American Airlines will not tolerate acts of violence against members of our team. We have involved the local police and the FBI and are working with them to make sure they have all the information they need. The person involved in this incident will never be allowed to travel with American Airlines in the future, but we will not be satisfied until they have been prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This behavior must stop, and aggressive enforcement and prosecution is the best deterrent.

We thank our team for their prompt action and professionalism to ensure the safety of your teammates and customers on board. Our thoughts are with our injured flight attendant and we make sure that she and her fellow crew members have the support they need at this time.

american airlines