Summary

  • Violent altercation captured on video at BWI involving Spirit Airlines employees and passenger on May 28.
  • Spirit Airlines quick to distance itself from the incident, stating involved employees were third-party contractors.
  • Increase in violent passenger incidents post-COVID, often related to flight delays, baggage issues, and stress.

A violent scene occurred at Maryland’s Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) on Saturday, May 28th. A fight broke out between five people at a Spirit Airlines ticket counter. Police were called to the scene at 1615, soon after the altercation ended.

Altercation caught on video

It is unclear what occurred before the brawl started, but a bystander captured the entire fight on video and uploaded by TMZ. However, the gossip website claims that there was a heated argument between the men before fists were drawn.

The video shows a man in shorts, presumed to be a passenger, fighting one of the four employees, all dressed in Spirit Airlines uniforms. A Spirit Airlines employee appears to throw the first punch, a wild haymaker. The four employees then punched the man while they were all upright.

One of the employees had the passenger in a headlock for a while. The three other employees continued to attack the passenger, who was stuck in the grapple. The passenger and employee, still intertwined, fall to the ground, after which the other three employees start kicking and beating the passenger with shots to the head and body. The man is stepped on and is in a prone position for the rest of the brawl.

The video ends with the employees holding the man down on the ground.

Aftermath

According to the police, the passenger suffered minor injuries. The police have identified the other four individuals, but no details were given about any arrests.

Spirit Airlines has been quick to distance itself from the issue. They have unequivocally said that the employees involved were hired by a third-party contractor and not directly employed by the airline. They also said they do not tolerate any violence of any kind and have suspended the employees effective immediately.

A bright yellow Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 passenger jet departs from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) with a Frontier Airlines plane in the background

Photo: Around the World Photos | Shutterstock

A Spirit Airlines representative said this in a statement to CBS Baltimore:

“We are aware of an altercation that occurred in Baltimore (BWI) on May 28. Our vendor has suspended four of their employees involved pending an investigation into the matter. We do not tolerate violence of any kind, and we will take appropriate action as necessary following the completion of the vendor’s investigation.”

Simple Flying has contacted Spirit Airlines, asking for clarification about what led to the incident and any further details surrounding the altercation.

Increasingly violent passengers

There has been a massive uptick in violent passengers and altercations on flights and in airports since air travel picked up after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Spirit Airlines and Southwest Airlines planes at Denver Airport

Photo: Denver International Airport

Flight delays, baggage issues, excessive alcohol consumption, and stress are factors contributing to these altercations. Airline shortfalls compound these problems. Videos surface with unruly passengers shouting, biting, and fighting airline employees across the internet in recent times, almost every week.

Acting out does not benefit passengers in any way, especially since there are excessive legal consequences and possible permanent bans, depending on the severity of the altercation. However, the threat of consequences seldom seems to deter passengers from acting out.

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