Throwing punches is certainly not social distancing.
Footage appeared online that shows a fight breaking out between passengers on an American Airlines flight as it was waiting to depart. According to reports, the incident was sparked when one traveler refused to comply with the airline’s face-covering policy.
Caryn Ross uploaded the footage to Twitter and captioned it, “Nothing like a morning Fight Club as tempers flared on American Airlines LAS-CLT flight today….So much for social distancing.” 360aproko News reports that Ross’ husband was actually the one to record the incident.
A passenger on the flight from Las Vegas to Charlotte reportedly refused to follow the airline’s face mask policy after boarding the plane. When they were asked to leave the plane, the traveler reportedly became disruptive and an altercation with other passengers broke out.
According to 360aproko News, the woman was seen leaving the plane after authorities were called.
In a statement obtained by 360aproko News, a spokesperson for American Airlines said, “On Monday, a customer on American Airlines Flight 1665 with service from Las Vegas to Charlotte failed to comply with our mandatory face-covering policy after boarding the aircraft prior to departure. In accordance with our policy, the customer was subsequently asked to leave the aircraft and became disruptive, resulting in an altercation with other passengers.”
The statement further reaffirmed the company’s face covering policy, saying, “American, like other U.S. airlines, began requiring customers to wear a face-covering while onboard aircraft beginning May 11. We have since strengthened our policy to require face coverings be worn at airports and onboard, and announced in June that we may deny future travel for customers who refuse to wear a face-covering for the duration of this requirement.”
