Southwest Airlines.Photo: DOMINICK REUTER/AFP/Getty
Southwest Airlines has banned a passenger after she allegedly “assaulted” a flight attendant on an aircraft going from Sacramento, California to San Diego.
Quinonez and an unnamed flight attendant allegedly got into an altercation after the passenger was reprimanded for not wearing her face mask.
Agraphic videoof the altercation went viral, appearing to show the passenger punch the flight attendant, leaving her with a bloody nose.
“She has been notified she is no longer welcome to fly on us,” Southwest spokesperson Chris Mainz told PEOPLE in a statement, confirming her ban.
“The passenger repeatedly ignored standard inflight instructions and became verbally and physically abusive upon landing,” Mainz also toldUSA Today. “Law enforcement officials were requested to meet the flight upon arrival, and the passenger was taken into custody. We do not condone or tolerate verbal or physical abuse of our flight crews, who are responsible for the safety of our passengers.”
Southwest Airlines.David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty
Quinonez, 28, was charged with battery causing serious bodily injury, a felony.
It is unclear if the passenger obtained legal representation.
Southwest’s flight attendants union, Transport Workers Union Local 556, wrote a letter to the company’s CEO informing them about the incident.
Southwest Airlines.Getty
The Federal Aviation Administration announced a zero-tolerance policy for “unruly” passengers in March as there’s been a spike in violence against flight crew over the past year.
“The policy directs our safety inspectors and attorneys to take strong enforcement action against any passenger who disrupts or threatens the safety of a flight, with penalties ranging from fines to jail time. The number of cases we’re seeing is still far too high, and it tells us urgent action continues to be required,” the announcement said.
“It’s absolutely deplorable and you should never come from work with your teeth missing,” the TWU Local 556 presidenttoldCBS8.
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However, the passenger who took the video of the flight between Quinonez and the flight attendant told the outlet, “Both of them, in my opinion, were wrong and it could have totally been avoided.
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source: people.com
