CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WJZY) — A passenger captured the moment a flight attendant got on the intercom to call out passengers for behavior he described as “disgusting” during an American Airlines flight.
“Just like you, we have not eaten also,” the flight attendant says. “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.”
A video posted on TikTok by Brent Underwood shows the flight attendant speaking to passengers over the intercom on a flight headed to Charlotte, North Carolina, from Los Angeles which was diverted to the Raleigh-Durham International Airport this week. The video has since gone viral, with 1 million views and counting.
“We were told that the weather was so bad and we were running low on fuel that we had to divert to RDA,” Underwood later told NewsNation affiliate WJZY.
Underwood said they were sitting on the tarmac when a passenger yelled at a flight attendant after she spoke with him because his mask was down.
“He called her a fat gorilla,” Underwood said, adding that the passenger made another vulgar remark. “I was like, ‘What in the world?’”
“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.
In a statement to WJZY, 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.”