A Southwest flight was briefly delayed at New Orleans airport on 29 May so that local law enforcement could remove a passenger who refused to disembark the aircraft when asked to.
In a video posted to social media, the woman is seen giving the authorities details about when she paid for her flight, before three deputies – reportedly from the St Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, according to FoxNews – pull her out of her chair and into the aisle.
As she is pulled down the aisle, she is seen resisting being taken off the plane and asking if she can have her phone: “I literally need my phone, I paid for that,” she says.
“Sir, can you please get my phone?” she adds, as one of the deputies is seen holding it.
The woman then remarks that she is “so confused, what’s happening”, with a passenger next to her replying: “Yeah, well, we’re not”.
Other passengers were clearly tired of the ordeal, with one thanking the officers as they began to escort the woman in question off the plane.
“You’re making it worse for yourself,” says another traveller as the woman resists being removed from the aircraft.
The deputies then begin to put handcuffs on the unnamed woman, with passengers telling her that it looks like she is under arrest.
The video has since gone viral, with 1.7 million views at the time of writing.
Fox News reports that the person who filmed the video said the woman was “asked nicely to get off the flight, but she refused numerous times. As a result, the airline called for assistance”.
People in the comments were quick to criticise the woman, with one questioning why people “fight the cops”.
“I’ll never understand this,” said another.
In a comment to The Independent, a Southwest spokesperson said: “On May 29, local authorities in New Orleans were contacted to remove a Customer who was exhibiting disruptive and unacceptable behavior onboard. We commend our Crew for their outstanding professionalism while handling this challenging situation.
“Our Employees are responsible for the Safety, well-being, and comfort of all of our Customers, and we maintain a zero-tolerance policy for unruly Customers”.
