NEW YORK – An American Airlines flight from New York to California made an emergency landing in Denver after a passenger assaulted a flight attendant, authorities said.
Flight 976 was heading from John F. Kennedy International Airport to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, but was diverted to Denver International Airport due to the incident, the airline said.
Law enforcement officers removed the passenger at the gate, American Airlines said, and the flight continued to California. The flight attendant was reportedly taken to a hospital, but details about her condition were not immediately released, The Associated Press reported.
The identity of the passenger has not been released and details about the charges were not immediately available.
“American Airlines will not tolerate acts of violence against members of our team,” it said in a written statement. “The person involved in this incident will never be able to travel with American Airlines in the future, but we will not be satisfied” until he has been prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This behavior must stop, and aggressive enforcement and prosecution is the best deterrent. “
The attack comes amid a surge in rogue airline passengers this year, which sometimes turn violent. Data from the Federal Aviation Administration shows that the agency has received nearly 5,000 reports of unruly passenger behavior so far this year, the vast majority – 3,580 reports – being mask-related incidents.
Police were investigating the assault and the FAA said it would investigate as well.
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