A passenger on American Airlines tried to open the emergency exit in the air: six people held him
An unpleasant incident occurred on board an American Airlines plane when a passenger tried to open the emergency exit door. Flight AA1219 from Albuquerque to Chicago, which had been in the air for 30 minutes out of a nearly three-hour journey, was forced to make an emergency return after the actions of one of the passengers jeopardized the safety of everyone else.
Six passengers intervened, subduing the man by throwing him to the floor and tying his legs with duct tape. According to the Independent, the unruly passenger was later restrained with flexible handcuffs.
Video footage of the incident was posted online, showing how the passengers managed to avert a potentially dangerous situation in the air.
One passenger who was on board wrote that the man was behaving aggressively. Another passenger called it "one of the scariest days of my life."
The plane was forced to reroute and landed safely in Albuquerque, where the man was met by law enforcement.
American Airlines confirmed the incident, stating that a "disruptive passenger" caused disturbance in the cabin.
"Flight 1219 from Albuquerque (ABQ) to Chicago (ORD) returned to Albuquerque shortly after takeoff due to a disturbance in the cabin related to a disruptive passenger. The flight landed safely and was met by local law enforcement upon arrival," the statement said.
As TravelWise previously reported, American Airlines is launching a new route to the popular resort.