A Southwest Airlines passenger has admitted to attacking a flight attendant working for the Texas-based carrier. The 28-year old woman from California repeatedly punched a crew member on a flight from Sacramento International Airport to San Diego International Airport on May 23rd.
Injuries sustained
The US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California has shared a statement about the incident that took place on Flight WN700. According to the release, the assault took place after the flight attendant asked Vyvianna M. Quinonez to “fasten her seat belt, stow her tray table, and wear her facemask properly,” toward the end of the flight.
A video of the attack was shared on Twitter by user @ndelriego on May 27th. The footage shows Quinonez punching the flight attendant repeatedly for the crew member to fall into a seat behind. A man witnessing the attack then intercepts, demanding that the attacker sits down. The attendant can then be seen holding her mouth.
The employee was taken to a hospital to treat the several injuries that she received. The official statement adds that “three of the flight attendant’s teeth were chipped, resulting in two teeth later being replaced by crowns.”
The tweet below shows footage of the incident (video contains violence).
UPDATE: Quinonez has plead guilty to punching a flight attendant. Quinonez will be sentenced in March 2022 & could face up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. However, prosecutors said they will recommend a sentence of 4 months in custody and 6 months of home confinement.
— Natasha ⚯͛ (@ndelriego) December 23, 2021
Quinonez is set to be sentenced on March 11th according to prosecutors. The maximum sentence she can face is 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
A word from the airline
Simple Flying reached out to Southwest for comment on the incident. The carrier highlighted its strict stance when it comes to abuse against its staff members.
“We appreciate the efforts of federal and local authorities working to bring this case to justice,” a spokesperson for the airline told Simple Flying.
Southwest Airlines has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to physical or verbal abuse against its Employees.”
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A worrying pattern
There has been a notable rise in attacks on airline staff in recent years. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been keen to clamp down on this rowdy behavior. Even before the government signed off an order regarding the mandatory wearing of face masks on aircraft at the start of the year, FAA Administrator Steve Dickson approved an order to fine unruly travelers or those who attack, threaten or intimidate members of the crew.
For unruly behavior, the total fines for the year up until August reached $1 million. Also, the FAA is now referring cases to the FBI. The worrying trend has even promoted airlines to seek new common no-fly lists. Additionally, carriers introduced a series of alcohol bans to keep the risk of incidents down.
Overall, Southwest is not alone when it comes to addressing this concerning behavior. The whole industry will be hoping for far fewer incidents such as this in 2022.
What are your thoughts about this Southwest Airlines passenger pleading guilty to punching a flight attendant working for the operator in the face? What do you make of the overall incident? Let us know what you think of the situation in the comment section.
