A British Airways flight attendant intervened in a physical altercation between two passengers on a flight from Heathrow to Las Vegas, resulting in the takeoff being aborted and police being called. The incident was captured on video and has gone viral on social media.
Flight attendant's intervention
The flight attendant, identified as Sophie, can be seen grappling with a male passenger, telling him to “stay seated” and “listen to instructions” while he tries to push past her to another passenger. The two men can be seen trying to hit each other over Sophie’s head as her voice gets louder.
Police involvement and arrest
Wearing a blue T-shirt and grey tracksuit bottoms, the passenger was later met by armed police and escorted off the plane. Surrounded by officers and handcuffed, he was taken well away from the Airbus A350, with footage making its way to social media soon after.
A 31-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of being drunk on board an aircraft at around 5.30pm on Thursday, August 6. A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed that officers were called out following “reports of a passenger being disruptive on an outbound plane” and that “the plane returned to the terminal to allow officers to board the plane.”
Social media reaction
Music producer and DJ Bou (@bou_dnb) shared a clip on Instagram, documenting the exchange. The video racked up 200,000 likes and more than 10,000 comments. He said: "Fair play to the air hostess here, because she absolutely held it down," adding that she deserved a raise for her actions.
A spokesperson for British Airways said: “Disruptive or abusive behaviour is never tolerated on board, and the safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority. When these incidents occur, the appropriate action will always be taken.”
