Spirit Airlines to unruly passenger who attacked crew: You’re banned forever
Another day, another case of air rage.
The latest incident occurred on a Spirit Airlines flight out of Fort Lauderdale to Nashville on Saturday evening.
“The crew of Spirit Airlines Flight 222, an Airbus A320, reported a passenger disturbance and landed at Nashville International Airport at 7:30 p.m. local time Saturday. The flight was coming from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport when the incident occurred,” Spirit spokeswoman Nicole Aguiar said in a statement to media.
According to The Tennessean, a 42-year-old female passenger allegedly assaulted two crew members, punching one, and pulling another’s hair. The individual was arrested once on the ground but not before her feet were zip-tied by a fellow passenger.
The suspect, identified by Nashville TV station WKRN as Amanda Henry, was charged with public intoxication; the flight attendants reportedly refused to press charges. According to Davidson County court records reviewed by the Miami Herald, Henry was briefly jailed but released hours later on $100 bond. The case is now closed.
“Thank you to our guests who assisted our crew and local law enforcement for their assistance,” Aguiar continued in the statement, adding the woman was banned from flying with Spirit ever again.
Last week, Attorney General Merrick Garland directed federal prosecutors to prioritize cases involving unruly passengers after a spike in incidents during the ongoing pandemic.
“Passengers who assault, intimidate or threaten violence against flight crews and flight attendants do more than harm those employees,” Garland said in a Justice Department statement. “They prevent the performance of critical duties that help ensure safe air travel.”
This story was originally published November 29, 2021 at 4:34 PM.
