A Southwest Airlines flight attendant asked Vyvianna Quinonez, 28, to buckle her seatbelt, stow her tray table, and wear her mask properly, as the flight was on its final descent, according to a plea agreement reached last month. The day after the incident, the union representing Southwest flight attendants said passenger misconduct has reached an “intolerable level.” The in-flight incidents and other working conditions, the union said, left its ranks “weary, exhausted, frustrated and forgotten. Flight attendant punched in the face mid-flight fracas. Quinonez’s lawyer declined to comment when contacted by CNN. We are not going to tolerate violence or interference with the flight crew, and we will pursue criminal charges against those who break the law.” Just days after a video went viral of passengers fighting on Spirit Airlines, a flight attendant was physically assaulted Sunday on an enroute. As America opens itself up to post-pandemic travel, an incredibly dangerous, disturbing trend has emerged: Fighting on airplanes. “It’s inexcusable for anyone to use violence on an airplane for any reason, particularly toward a flight attendant who is there to keep all the passengers safe. Vyvianna Quinonez, 28, from California, has been charged with federal counts of felony assault and interfering with a flight crew for allegedly attacking a S. The Southwest Airlines aide had asked a woman to keep her seatbelt fastened during a Sacramento flight to San Diego. An American Airlines passenger who allegedly punched a flight attendant in the face faces up to 20 years in prison. Quinonez was sentenced to 15 months in federal custody on Friday. The flight attendant who was assaulted was simply doing her job to ensure the safety of all passengers aboard the plane,” said Acting United States Attorney Randy Grossman. aviation that preceded, and remain relevant after, COVID-19. The flight attendant was left with three chipped teeth, she needed stitches on her face, and according to the plea agreement, she also “had a bruise in the shape of fingers on her right forearm.” Southwest Airlines punched a flight attendant in the face when asked to. Most were passengers refusing to follow the federal requirement for passengers to wear face masks while on planes, but nearly 300 involved intoxicated passengers, the FAA said.Passenger accused of punching Southwest flight attendant faces federal chargesĪ male passenger jumped between Quinonez, according to the plea agreement, and the flight attendant, who was visibly shaken, and instructed Quinonez to sit down. The incident was part of an escalation in unruly behavior by airline passengers amid the coronavirus pandemic and led the president of the flight attendants’ union to ask for more federal air marshals on planes.Īirlines in 2021 reported more than 5,000 incidents of unruly passengers to the Federal Aviation Administration. Attorney Randy Grossman said in a statement after the sentencing.įBI Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy said the sentence should “send a very strong message to air travelers - the FBI will vigorously pursue anyone who assaults or interferes with flight crews.” “Attacks on flight crew members, who perform vital jobs to ensure passenger safety, will not be tolerated," U.S. The plea agreement said that the flight attendant suffered three chipped teeth, two of which needed crowns, along with bruises and a cut under her left eye that needed stitches. Sorry, this video is not available, please check back later. The assault was recorded on another passenger’s cellphone. Instead, Quinonez began recording the attendant on her cellphone, pushed her, then stood up and punched the woman in the face and grabbed her hair before other passengers intervened, authorities said. A woman who repeatedly punched a flight attendant on a San Diego-bound plane pleaded guilty Wednesday to a federal count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants. Neither she nor her attorney could be reached for comment Tuesday.ĭuring the flight’s final descent, the attendant had asked Quinonez to buckle her seat belt, stow her tray table, and put on her facemask properly. A flight attendant on a Southwest Airlines plane lost two teeth over the weekend after allegedly being punched by a passenger who had 'repeatedly ignored standard inflight instructions,' according. Later on, the passenger walked to the back of the plane and punched the flight attendant twice in the face, breaking her nose. In May, a Southwest Airlines flight attendant suffered injuries to their face, including the loss of two teeth, following an assault involving a passenger. Quinonez last year pleaded guilty to one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants, admitting she punched the flight attendant in the face and head with a closed fist and grabbed her hair. Last month an American Airlines flight attendant reportedly sustained a concussion and had to be removed from a plane by stretcher after she was allegedly punched in the face by a passenger.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |