An unruly passenger on a JetBlue Airways flight from London to New York City was restrained by multiple passengers and handed over to authorities upon landing, the airline confirmed. The dramatic incident was recorded on video and shared on Instagram. The airline stated that the event took place on Flight 1926 and did not disclose the passenger’s identity or whether they were arrested upon arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Flight 1926 departed ahead of schedule and landed 26 minutes early at 3:16 p.m., as indicated by the flight-tracking site, FlightAware.
The disruptive behavior began when the passenger started behaving erratically and aggressively towards their travel companion and the flight crew. The crew discovered an open bottle of alcohol brought on board by the customer and suspected intoxication. For the safety of everyone on board, the passenger was restrained with the help of other passengers who witnessed the threatening behavior. The flight landed safely, and law enforcement took over the situation upon arrival. JetBlue expressed appreciation for customers’ assistance and understanding during the incident, apologizing for any disturbance caused.
Video footage of the incident depicted at least four men trying to subdue the unruly passenger aboard the flight. As the struggle moved from the aisle to a seat and back again, other passengers were seen standing up and shouting instructions. The video captured a woman pleading with the passenger to stop fighting, while one of the men attempting to restrain the passenger called for him to be taken down. The scene also featured a woman’s voice sobbing as the struggle continued. JetBlue did not confirm if the footage was taken on Flight 1926.
The Port Authority police received a disturbance report on JetBlue Flight 1926 shortly after 3:15 p.m. However, no arrests were made by the agency. Other videos circulating around Thanksgiving showed disruptive behavior on Frontier Airlines’ flights, including a woman pulling down her pants and another passenger claiming she was being kidnapped mid-flight. The International Air Transport Association reported a 47% increase in bad behavior on commercial flights in 2022 compared to the previous year. Additionally, federal officials referred over 250 unruly airline passengers to the FBI for potential criminal prosecution since late 2021.
