A flight passenger hit an American Airlines gate agent after she was denied the chance to board for not wearing a face mask at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Wednesday, according to the Arizona Republic.
- The passenger — a woman traveling from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and had a connecting flight in Phoenix — refused to wear a face mask.
- Crew members flagged to deny her service due to the airline’s policy on mask-wearing.
After arriving into Phoenix and being informed that they would not be able to take their connecting flight to Las Vegas, the individual became irate and struck an American team member in the terminal. Law enforcement was requested and since this is now a law enforcement matter, we would refer additional questions to the Phoenix Police Department. — Curtis Blessing, a spokesperson for American Airlines
- The gate agent was not injured.
- Video of the incident surfaced on Twitter. It doesn’t show when the woman was denied boarding the flight, according to the Arizona Republic.. But it does show her cussing out the gate agent. Police arrive to take her away.
This has happened before
Back in June, American Airlines removed a passenger from a flight for refusing to wear a mask, which was the first time a major national airline company enforced strict mask-wearing policies, as I wrote for Deseret.com.
American Airlines policy requires masks be worn on flights except when eating or drinking.
Wearing a face covering is a responsibility we all share. An effective covering, worn properly, is one of the best ways we can control the spread of COVID-19 to protect our team members and customers. Since American began requiring face coverings in early May, the vast majority of customers have welcomed our continuing efforts to strengthen the policy based on the CDC’s guidance. — Alison Taylor, chief customer officer at American Airlines.