Southwest Airlines Passenger Knocked Flight Attendant’s Teeth Out
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| Video - Southwest Airlines Passenger Knocked Flight Attendant’s Teeth Out: Disturbance on Southwest Airlines Flight 700 at the San Diego International Airport |
The altercation occurred Sunday, when the unnamed worker approached Vyvianna Quinonez, 28, and her family about not wearing masks after their flight from Sacramento had landed in San Diego.
Watch video/clip Southwest Airlines passenger punches flight attendant, knocking out 2 teeth:
Southwest officials announced that Quinonez would be barred from the airline in a memo to flight attendants.
The airline said the passenger ignored instructions from the flight attendant before assaulting her. A brief video posted by another person on the flight shows a woman punching the flight attendant and a male passenger interceding to stop the attack.
“The passenger repeatedly ignored standard inflight instructions and became verbally and physically abusive upon landing,” said Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz.
Quinonez is also facing a felony charge of battery causing serious bodily injury in connection with the incident, The Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department said.
"According to witnesses, an altercation between a passenger and a flight attendant had taken place during the flight. During the altercation, the passenger struck the flight attendant, causing serious injuries," a Tuesday press release from the agency read. Police said Thursday that Quinonez is 5-foot-5 and 175 pounds and the flight attendant suffered “serious injuries." The president of her union said she lost two teeth.
The Dallas-based airline has not revealed the name of the flight attendant, who was treated at a San Diego hospital and released.
The flight attendants union appealed for support from the company in the wake of an increasing number of unruly passengers, some of whom get physical with crew members.
Mask fights and BYOB breaches: FAA proposes $64,500 in fines against 5 passengersAirlines and the Federal Aviation Administration have reported a big spike in incidents, many of them tied to mask compliance. The FAA has adopted a zero-tolerance policy, and ahead of the summer travel season, officials this week reiterated that passengers behaving badly will suffer stiff consequences. Despite relaxed mask guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month, masks remain a must on planes and at airports following the recent extension of the federal mask mandate for public transportation, USA Today report. |
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