CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WJZY) – Video of an American Airlines flight attendant calling out passengers for their behavior has gone viral.
“Just like you, we have not eaten also,” the flight attendant can be seen telling passengers over the intercom. “The fact that we get insulted and mistreated by passengers over things that we cannot control. It is disgusting… Shame on the passengers who have made this flight a living hell.”
The plane was heading to Charlotte, North Carolina, from Los Angeles but was diverted to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
“We were told that the weather was so bad and we were running low on fuel that we had to divert to RDA,” said Brent Underwood, the man who took the TikTok video.
Underwood said they were sitting on the tarmac when a passenger yelled at a flight attendant.
“He called her a fat gorilla,” Underwood said, adding that the passenger made another vulgar remark. “I was like, ‘What in the world?’ It was all because his mask was down,” Underwood said. “She walked up to her lead attendant, and he got over the intercom and said he will not tolerate rudeness to his flight attendants.”
Minutes before takeoff, Underwood said another passenger caused a scene after being told to take his seat.
“From what I understand, he tried to force his way into the bathroom. It was ridiculous,” Underwood said.
FOX 46 showed the viral video to passengers at the Charlotte-Douglas Airport before boarding their flight.
“There is so much animosity and so much hate out there, people need to act civilized again. I back the flight attendant,” said Alberto Gonzalaz, a traveler at the airport.
In a statement to FOX 46, American Airlines implied that the incidents were prompted by a violation of the current federal mask mandate.
“We take the health and safety of our customers seriously, and our crew members work hard to uphold the federal mask mandate that remains in effect on aircraft and in airports,” reads the statement. “We value the trust our customers’ place in our team to care for them throughout their journey, and we expect those who choose to fly with us to treat each other ― and our team members ― with respect.”