This attack on a flight attendant is the “worst” in airline history, says CEO of American Airlines

(CNN) – American Airlines said in a statement that a coast-to-coast flight was diverted to Denver on Wednesday night after a passenger “physically assaulted a flight attendant.”

The airline said Flight 976, which took off from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City to Santa Ana, California, landed safely in Denver, where police “removed and detained the passenger.”

A source familiar with the details of the accident said that “the attack was not justified,” adding that the passenger went to the back of the plane and hit the flight attendant twice in the face and broke her nose.

The director of American Airlines said Wednesday’s incident was “one of the worst manifestations of rebellious behavior we have seen.”

In a video statement posted on social media, American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said he supports the injured flight attendant and will ban the man accused of assaulting her from flying on the airline again.

“It’s not enough,” Parker said. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that it is addressed to the extent possible.”

The FBI said it was investigating the incident. The agency said no arrests had been made and an investigation was underway.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Thursday that it will also investigate the accident.

American Airlines is working with authorities, according to a spokesperson for the airline, Curtis Blessing. “We are outraged by the reports about what happened on board,” Blessing said.

Earlier this year, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) adopted a zero-tolerance policy for unruly passengers on board. The agency said in August that it had imposed fines of more than $1 million For troublesome passengers in 2021.

A passenger was fined US$45,000 in August for allegedly throwing his luggage at another passenger, and while lying on the aisle floor, he “grabbed a flight attendant by her ankles and put her head over her skirt.”

in that Last updatedThe Federal Aviation Administration said there were 4,941 reports of unruly passengers this year.

a Survey of the Flight Attendants Association The post in July found that, of the 5,000 flight attendants surveyed, 85% said they had dealt with riotous travelers in 2021. The changing passengers used sexist, racist and/or homophobic language, according to 61%, while 17% said they They were. Victim of physical assault this year.