Shocking Video Shows Southwest Plane Passenger Spitting and Pulling Woman's Hair
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Footage of a violent outburst aboard a Southwest Airlines flight shows a woman spitting, screaming, and yanking another passenger's hair as shocked travelers look on.
The incident allegedly took place while passengers were boarding a flight from New York's LaGuardia airport to Kansas City.
A series of Reddit posts showing footage of the altercation have since gone viral, with the initial clip showing a verbal dispute that quickly became violent as a woman yanked a female passenger's hair while flight crew and other passengers tried to intervene.
Stock image of rows of empty seats on a plane.
Stock image of rows of empty seats on a plane.
iStock / Getty Images Plus
After being physically restrained, she later begins spitting at the same woman before her head is held down by a Southwest employee.
Additional footage in a second Reddit post shows what happened next, with the woman resisting restraint and screaming as more passengers become involved.
According to Reddit users discussing the footage, she allegedly refused to sit next to a larger passenger and began lashing out physically and verbally.
"She said in part one, 'All this because I didn't want to sit next to a fat lady' or something like that," one user noted.
The woman's identity has not been confirmed, but some commenters speculated that alcohol or mental health issues may have contributed to her behavior.
In a short statement given to Newsweek, Southwest Airlines said, "The customer involved in the incident was removed from the flight and denied boarding.
"We commend our Team for their professionalism during the incident."
In-Flight Safety
The confrontation has renewed discussions on in-flight safety and crew response tactics.
According to Cabin Crew Wings, flight attendants are trained to use calm, quiet interventions when dealing with potentially disruptive passengers.
"There's nothing more counterproductive than embarrassing or provoking an upset passenger," the guidance states. "It could just escalate the problem."
In situations where talking fails, the site recommends involving colleagues and using seat changes or distractions—options unavailable in this incident, as the situation quickly escalated.
No-Fly Lists
This kind of behavior is almost certain to land the woman on Southwest Airlines' no-fly list, with Travel+Leisure noting, "Unruly behavior is the number one reason passengers end up on an airline's no-fly list.
"This includes making threats or acting in a violent manner that prevents airline crew members from doing their jobs, which subsequently impacts the safety of other passengers."
As video of the Southwest flight continues to circulate online, many viewers have expressed outrage at the woman's actions.
"Enjoy never flying again," quipped one user, though whether criminal charges or airline-imposed sanctions follow remains to be seen.
Newsweek has contacted Ace-Cuddler for comment via Reddit.
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