Summary
- A person has been arrested for violently attacking an American Airlines worker onboard a flight from Miami International Airport earlier this week.
- In a press release shared on Tuesday, American Airlines condemned the incident and reaffirmed its commitment to the protection of its staff members.
- Unruly passenger incidents saw an almost 50% increase between 2021 and 2022, resulting in calls for motion by flight attendants’ unions.
A person has been arrested in connection to an attack on an American Airlines worker earlier this week, local media reports.
Chain of events
29-year-old Bruno Luke Machiavelo was arrested on Monday following a violent altercation onboard an American Airlines service from Miami International Airport (MIA).
In keeping with NBC Miami, Machiavelo is reported to have requested access to his checked bag for his anti-anxiety medication, telling a cabin crew member that he had previously taken flights down along with his panic attacks.
The cabin crew made the choice to escort the Connecticut-based Machiavelo from the service; nonetheless, after being approached by an American Airlines manager, the passenger became unruly and commenced to scream and push her away. Upon disembarking the aircraft, Machiavelo launched a violent assault, punching the manager within the face and throwing her to the ground, requiring hospital treatment for a head injury and everlasting facial scarring. A gate agent was also injured within the incident after being knocked over by Machiavelo as he ran off the aircraft.
Photo: Denver International Airport
Airport police responding to the incident were in a position to track down Machiavelo, who had been restrained by several passengers, taking him in on charges of aggravated battery, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest without violence. Machiavelo was subsequently taken to the hospital and is ready to be discharged into police custody.
In a press release shared on Tuesday, American Airlines reiterated its commitment to safety and condemned incidents of violence against its staff members.
Violence against flight crew
Through 2022, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) recorded a 47% surge in unruly behavior on flights, with incidents of verbal abuse almost doubling in comparison with 2021.
Photo: Philip Pilosian | Shutterstock
American Airlines has seen several high-profile incidents in recent months, including one other Miami-based altercation through which retired British business executive Robert David Croizat was arrested after a confrontation with the flight crew. Croizat pled guilty to a misdemeanor count of assault in May, while a felony charge of interference with flight crew was dropped.
Amid the rise, flight crew members have looked towards a spread of solutions, including the implementation of a no-fly list for violent and abusive passengers. Backed by American Airlines’ Association of Skilled Flight Attendants (APFA), the Transport Staff Union of America (TWU), and the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA), the proposed Protection From Abusive Passengers Act would place passengers previously convicted in air rage incidents on a national no-fly list, barring them from industrial air travel. The bill was reintroduced to the US Congress in March 2023 before being referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
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