WASHINGTON (7News) — A United Airlines flight from San Francisco landed at Dulles International Airport on Monday after a passenger became physically aggressive toward another passenger, officials said.
The incident occurred on United Flight 2247, which touched down at Dulles at 1:40 p.m. local time.
United Airlines confirmed in a statement that the crew and other passengers intervened to restrain the aggressive passenger. The airline added that paramedics along with local law enforcement met the flight upon arrival.
SEE ALSO |Former DC officer convicted of using union funds for New York City vacation: FBI
“Thanks to the quick action of our crew and customers, one passenger was restrained after becoming physically aggressive toward another customer on a flight from San Francisco to Washington Dulles,” United said.
ABC News reported that the “random assault” was on a sleeping passenger who wasrepeatedly punched.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has also announced it will investigate the incident. Read their statement below:
“United Airlines Flight 2247 safely landed at Dulles International Airport in Virginia after the crew reported a passenger disturbance on Monday, Oct. 28 at 1:40 p.m. local time. The Boeing 737-900 departed San Francisco International Airport. The FAA will investigate.”
The agency has been increasingly vigilant about enforcing penalties in cases of unruly behavior, with civil fines reaching up to $37,000 per offense.
The FAA also said that the rate of unruly passenger incidents has dropped over 80% since record-highs in 2021 “but unacceptable behavior continues to occur.”
In 2024, airlines have reported more than 1,240 unruly passenger cases, according to the FAA.