An angry man and his wife who did not adhere to wearing face masks were kicked off a flight from Fort Lauderdale to San Diego after calling flight attendants before takeoff, JetBlue said.
In a video widely circulated on social media, a man was caught calling a flight attendant in the middle of the plane’s aisle while being asked to get off the plane for not wearing a face mask. According to the airline, the couple was asked “several times, but would not fulfill the mandate of the federal mask.”
As the video progressed, the man can be heard claiming to have been given a warning.
“I’m a vaccinated person,” he said in the video. “I respect all your rules. Respect your rules in each of them. OKAY? You gave me an amazing warning. “
JetBlue said the man “became verbally and physically aggressive towards crew members before boarding the plane.” They saw him in the video demanding the flight attendant turn around to “face everyone” as he walked towards the employee as he pointed his finger.
Another flight attendant pulled the man from behind and guided him to the exit, encouraging the passengers. According to the airline, the couple has been banned from using their services in the future. Their names were not disclosed.
“As a reference, crew members are trained to talk to customers who do not follow the policies,” JetBlue said in a statement. “If a client refuses to wear a face mask after being asked, crew members will work to reduce the situation to the maximum of their ability to obtain compliance before removing it. The safety of each client and Crewing is our first priority and we must work together to fulfill the mandate of the federal mask during the voyage ”.
Under current guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, face masks are still needed during travel within or from the United States and from the United States. They are also mandatory inside the airports themselves or at other transport stations.
The Federal Airlines Administration announced in January more severe sanctions for those who threaten, intimidate or interfere with crew members due to an increase in undisciplined behavior this year.
“I signed an order directing FAA safety inspectors and security officers to take legal action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates or interferes with airline crew members,” he said. FAA administrator Steve Dickson in a PSA video message in January. “We will not deal with these cases through warnings or advice.”
The FAA can impose criminal fines and, in some cases, imprison passengers who cause inconvenience to flights or do not follow the crew’s instructions, which is a violation of FAA rules, the agency said.
It is unclear what punishment the passenger will face.