A United Airlines passenger was caught on video punching a gate agent at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD). As a result, United Airlines
has banned the individual and placed him on the no-fly list, according to a report by WUSA.
Gate agent hospitalized
On March 13, 2025, Maryland resident Christopher Stuart Crittenden attempted to walk onto the jet bridge at Gate D12 at Washington Dulles Airport while arriving passengers were deplaning, according to a video obtained by the publication.
A United Airlines employee blocked Crittenden from accessing the restricted area. Crittenden punched the employee in the face, causing the agent to fall to the ground. The 54-year-old passenger was arrested and charged with assault and disorderly conduct.
The Maryland resident allegedly engaged in a 15-minute confrontation with gate agents before knocking out a United Airlines gate agent at gate D12, according to WUSA. Sources allege that the passenger in question was angry because his original flight had been canceled, and he was assigned a middle seat for his new flight.
According to a report by The New York Post, the United Airlines gate agent was hospitalized following a violent attack. The worker’s identity has not been disclosed.
Calling for stronger protection
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has called for increased protection for airline customer representatives following the attack against the United Airlines worker, who is also an IAM Union member.
Photo: Minh K Tran | Shutterstock
Brian Bryant, International President of the 600,000-member IAM Union, and Richie Johnsen, IAM Air Transport Territory General Vice President, said in a statement issued on March 14, 2025:
“Our members deserve a workplace where they can focus on providing excellent customer service—not one where they fear being attacked by passengers. This latest incident is yet another example of the unacceptable rise in violence against frontline airline workers, and immediate action is needed to address it.
“Across the country, airline customer service representatives continue to face physical assaults, including being punched, kicked, struck by thrown luggage, and having their clothing ripped. Some of these attacks have resulted in life-altering injuries.”
Indeed, unruly passenger behavior has been on the rise since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in the United States. According to the US Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA
) data, a total of 2,102 passengers engaged in dangerous behavior onboard aircraft in 2024. Meanwhile, the FAA received 276 reports regarding unruly passengers as of March 9, 2025.
The FAA defines an unruly passenger as someone who disrupts flights through behavior deemed violent or threatening. With an increasing number of incidents occurring on flights throughout the country, the FAA has maintained strict consequences for passengers who interrupt flights through their disruptive behavior. Unruly passenger incidents are referred to the FBI when warranted and can earn them a felony conviction. Additionally, the civil aviation regulator can propose up to $37,000 per violation for unruly passenger cases.
Photo: FAA
The IAM union represents approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada. Of the 600,000 members, approximately 100,000 are airline workers.
In the statement, Bryant emphasized that any disruptive behavior, whether caused by intoxication, aggression, or other factors, poses unnecessary risks to airline operations. He urged the US Department of Justice (DOJ) to enforce existing laws immediately to prevent future assaults.
“The IAM Union, representing over 100,000 airline workers, including customer service agents, ramp workers, aircraft technicians, stock clerks and flight attendants, calls on FAA to take action and implement the stronger safety standards that recently passed under the current FAA reauthorization. These standards include employee assault prevention and response plan standards.”

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