A 32-year-old female passenger caused chaos on a Southwest Airlines flight after becoming enraged about sitting next to another woman she repeatedly insulted for her weight. The confrontation quickly escalated from verbal abuse to physical assault early Monday morning.
According to the Daily Mail, the intoxicated woman pulled another female passenger's hair, spat in her face, and kicked both the passenger and Southwest employees on a plane at LaGuardia Airport that was scheduled to depart for Kansas City.
The disturbance was captured on video by fellow passengers, who recorded the woman in a red baseball hat and all-black outfit becoming increasingly belligerent. After initially verbally attacking the other woman about her size and appearance, the situation rapidly deteriorated into physical violence.
Southwest staff and other travelers attempted to intervene as the disruptive passenger grabbed hold of the other woman's hair. Despite repeated requests from a female employee to let go, the woman maintained her grip while smiling.
When asked to release the woman's hair, the unhinged passenger denied even touching it, claiming "I'm not even touching her hair b****," while clearly continuing to hold onto it. Her defiant behavior included grinning throughout the confrontation, showing no intention of complying with staff directions.
A witness who recorded the incident told the Daily Mail that the aggressive woman even "knocked the glasses off the southwest employee." The same witness reported that when they suggested the woman "be nice," she responded with personal insults about their appearance and romantic life.
After staff called for police assistance, the disruptive passenger appeared to briefly acknowledge her behavior, shouting "Yeah, I'm sorry! I didn't want to sit next to a f***ing fat lady." Her combative stance continued as she declared everyone was "already past the point of no return."
When Southwest personnel finally managed to restrain her with her hands behind her back, she continued her tirade against the woman she had been harassing. "Look at this fat lady. Look at this fat a** b****. She can't even, look, you can't even see her stomach," she said, adding further insults about the woman's outfit and face mask.
Her verbal attacks then shifted to a male passenger seated next to her target. The belligerent woman screamed profanities and made disparaging remarks about his appearance, slurring her words and stumbling over a chair in the process.
The confrontation reached its most disturbing point when the woman deliberately spat directly in the face of the passenger she had been harassing. Airline staff then attempted to shield the victim from further assault while moving the aggressor away.
As employees tried to control the situation, the woman continued hurling obscenities and making crude, insulting comments about the woman and the man seated next to her. Her behavior became increasingly erratic as she fell to the ground in the plane's aisle.
After falling face-first, she dramatically flipped over, shouting "Shut the f*** up I can't breathe" with her hair covering her face. She then began kicking wildly, directing her attacks at both staff and passengers who were attempting to contain the situation.
Southwest Airlines confirmed to the Daily Mail that the disruptive passenger was eventually escorted off the aircraft on a gurney and prohibited from reboarding the flight. The incident significantly delayed departure for other passengers.
The Port Authority Police Department responded to a call about an "intoxicated passenger" at approximately 1:10 AM, according to their spokesperson. Following the incident, the woman was transported to a hospital for evaluation before being taken into custody.
After medical assessment, the passenger was transferred to the New York City Department of Correction and charged with aggravated assault. Southwest Airlines issued a statement commending their team members for their professionalism during the disturbing incident.
