A Southwest Airlines flight to Hawaii turned into complete chaos when passengers and crew members were forced to break up a midair fight between two travelers on Monday.
The two men began a physical altercation about an hour after takeoff from California’s Oakland International Airport to Kauai Island’s Lihue Airport, airline officials told Hawaii News Now.
“I heard yelling, screaming and punches. I turned around and saw one man bleeding and then the other man being separated,” Southwest Flight 1288 passenger Jim Wieder told the outlet.
Video from the incident shows a man in a gray hoodie approaching another man at his seat, who slaps him in the arm. The man in the gray then begins pummeling the other passenger, landing multiple punches to the face before being separated by flight attendants and other travelers.
A woman and a man in a blue hoodie, later identified as “Dan,” deescalated the situation by calmly speaking to the aggressive man and maintaining eye contact while physically pulling him away.
“Those are my parents. Small business owners on Kauai. Very kind people and very loved by their loyal locals on the west side of [the] island,” a source told Kauai Airbnb, the original uploaders of the footage.
The owner of the Instagram page also wrote that “apparently some alcohol and perhaps some violation of personal space” contributed to the fight.
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“Frankly, I was a little nervous because we’re 35,000 feet and you’ve got two guys swinging at each other, which makes no sense whatsoever,” Wieder said.
The plane continued on its flight path to Kauai, another witness told the outlet.
“We commend our Crew and Customers for their professionalism in [defusing] this situation,” a Southwest official said in a statement. “The flight landed safely at its scheduled destination, and local authorities met the flight upon arrival.”
While both men were detained after they landed, it is unclear if they will face any charges.
The U.S. Department of Transportation posted a reminder on X that violent air travelers could face prosecution and a $37,000 fine.
Reminder: Our department has zero tolerance for violent or unruly behavior aboard an aircraft. If you act out on an airplane, you can face criminal prosecution and fines up to $37,000. https://t.co/OWrtUYcHr4
— U.S. Department of Transportation (@USDOT) February 13, 2024
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