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American Airlines flight AA1733 was scheduled to fly from Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) yesterday. The aircraft did not make it to Dallas without a diversion as a First Class passenger reportedly attacked a flight attendant after she told him to quit vaping.
Paddle Your Own Kanoo reports that the passenger was vaping in their seat and in plain sight of other passengers and the crew. The flight attendant told the passenger that he was violating American’s rules as well as Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. This “antagonized” the passenger. The situation escalated and the passenger allegedly accused the flight attendant of making false allegations against him before chasing them into the forward galley.
The captain decided to divert the Airbus A319 to Tulsa International Airport (TUL). The passenger was deplaned and then the flight continued to its intended destination. The number of incidents involving unruly passengers has dramatically dropped over the past few years. But, since 2021, the FAA has referred more than 300 cases to the FBI for further investigation. Perpetrators can face criminal charges as well as fines up to $37,000.
Anthony’s Take: Vaping is a serious addiction and I cannot get over the number of people I see doing it indoors. I was a cigarette smoker for 20 years and know how strong the urge can be, but it has no place on a plane, in an airport (aside from a designated smoking area), in a restaurant, or in other confined spaces. Hopefully, this passenger learned a lesson.
(Featured Image Credit: American Airlines.)
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Advertiser & Editorial Disclosure: The Bulkhead Seat earns an affiliate commission for anyone approved through the links above This compensation may impact how and where links appear on this site. We work to provide the best publicly available offers to our readers. We frequently update them, but this site does not include all available offers. Opinions, reviews, analyses & recommendations are the author’s alone, and have not been reviewed, endorsed, or approved by any of these entities.
1 comment
Any passenger who incurred significant costs due to the diversion (missed flight/hotel/rental/business) needs to sue this idiot in small claims court. I believe federal law was changed to allow the lawsuit to be brought in either Milwaukee or Dallas, which would make it easy for a number of passengers. If we assume 50 passengers suing this person for $1000 each (just a guess), behavior should improve.