A smartphone video capturing a disturbing incident on a Southwest Airlines flight has gained viral attention. In the video, a female passenger, who appears to be under the influence of alcohol, engages in disruptive behavior including spitting on fellow passengers. The incident escalates as the pilots decide to make an emergency landing.
The TikTok video, which surfaced on Sunday, has already reached over 6.4 million views, drawing significant public interest. It begins with a woman wearing a blue t-shirt lying down in the middle of the aisle, while another passenger, dressed in red, stands over her, expressing anger and frustration towards her actions.
Things intensify as a flight attendant steps in, forcefully pushing the individual from behind, covering her mouth with a piece of paper in an attempt to restrain her. The distressed passenger is then escorted forward along the main aisle, disappearing from view as the video concludes.
The TikTok user who uploaded the footage captioned it as a “Flight with mentally and intoxicated person,” shedding light on the necessity of the emergency landing. The hashtag #southwestairlines accompanied the caption, indicating the airline involved.
Internet Responds To Mid-Air Meltdown
Thousands of viewers have flocked to the comment section to express their astonishment and dismay over the woman’s behavior.
“These flight attendants don’t get paid enough,” one TikTok user said.
“How does the mental break only happen on the plane. Not ticketing, tsa, or the gate? I find it hard to believe,” another user commented.
This week, IATA reported that unruly passenger incidents on flights had increased significantly between 2021 and 2022. Non-compliance with crew instruction was the most frequent descriptor, followed by verbal and physically abusive behaviors.