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Travelers aboard a JetBlue airplane united to subdue a fellow passenger who was behaving in a disruptive and hostile manner.
According to a statement from JetBlue, the incident occurred on Tuesday on flight 1926 from London to New York. The customer was restrained by other customers who witnessed their threatening behavior.
According to the statement, the traveler was acting in an unpredictable and hostile manner towards his travel partner and the flight staff.
Upon arrival at John F Kennedy International Airport in New York, the aircraft was greeted by law enforcement officials.
The airline reported that the flight crew discovered an unsealed bottle of alcohol brought onto the plane by the customer, along with signs of being intoxicated.
A video of the incident, obtained by the New York Post, shows other passengers intervening in an attempt to calm the situation.
The male passenger was restrained in a headlock, but he continued to resist and attempted to break free from the group of men holding him.
A female bystander requested that the man releasing his passenger from a headlock remove his hands from the victim’s face.
In the video that allegedly captured the incident, she can be heard urging the controlled passenger to cease their resistance.
The man who was held back continued to struggle, and in the midst of the commotion, one individual exclaimed, “Let’s bring him down!” The woman who was no longer visible appeared to respond with a “No.”
The group of passengers eventually subdued the man and led him down the aisle to the flight crew.
According to CNN, the port authority in New York was notified of a disturbance on a flight. However, the plane landed safely without any other issues, injuries, or arrests by the Port Authority police.
“The airline statement expressed gratitude for the support and understanding of our customers during the incident, and extends apologies for any inconvenience caused.”
In 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) stated that they received 2,075 reports of disruptive passengers. In 2024, there have been 129 reported incidents so far. However, the rate of unruly passenger incidents has decreased by more than 80% compared to the previous record-high numbers in early 2021.
Beginning in late 2021, the FAA has had to redirect over 270 severe cases to the FBI. Passengers who act out of line may face fines of up to $37,000 per offense.
The Independent has reached out to JetBlue for a response.
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The source of this information is from the Independent, a website covering health-related news.
