An American Airlines passenger was arrested Tuesday in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, after rushing the cockpit and causing damage to the plane. The passenger stormed the cockpit while boarding the plane for the flight heading to Miami, according to a statement from American Airlines.
“Crew members intervened and the individual was ultimately apprehended by law enforcement,” American Airlines said in the statement.
The plane was damaged during the attack and the flight had to be rescheduled for a different airplane.
“We applaud our outstanding crew members for their professionalism in handling a difficult situation,” American Airlines said in the statement.
No passengers or crew members were injured during the incident.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) instituted a new rule in January 2021 for dealing with unruly passengers. The new policy allows the FAA to sanction passengers with a $35,000 fine and possible jail time.
Airlines for America, an interest group for U.S. airlines and aviation-related unions, believe the new sanctions for unruly passengers are not enough. The group sent a letter in June 2021 to the Department of Justice asking the agency to use harsher penalties to prosecute dangerous passengers.
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