(iStock) The two travelers, identified as Kelly Pichardo and Leeza Rodriguez by NBC News, were arrested after feuding with a unnamed passenger'who asked them to stop using a racial slur. The airline company said that Banks had requested to relocate to the first-class cabin and was told that he was not eligible to do so and to stay in his assigned seat. Both women were charged with disorderly conduct, while Pichardo also faces an additional charge of assault, per NBC. 2 arrested for assaulting others, using racial slurs on flight - KNXV Phoenix police met American Airlines flight 776 from Dallas as it arrived at Sky Harbor International Airport at about 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24, and arrested Kelly Pichardo, 30, and Leeza. Houston A United Airlines airport agent is accused of using a racial slur against a customer and faces a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct. The moment when the actual racial slur was used was not captured. U.S. Racism Racist Viral video Racial Slur. The attendant told Banks not to raise his voice and told him to sit down. ?, Posted by Dre Justice on Sunday, March 15, 2020. The person's behavior was reprehensible and does not reflect our company culture. The incident took place. American Airlines responds to flight diversion after fight over racial The four other passengers who joined the suit defended the man, Elgin Banks, when a white flight attendant told him to gather his belongings and leave after he tried to switch his seat, attorney Theida Salazar told NBC News in a phone interview Friday. Salazar said he agrees. American Airlines Flight Diverted After Fight Over Racial Slur As soon as it reclined, a woman sitting directly behind my husband told me to put my seat back up in a very aggressive manner, she told Travel Noire. The airline company said in a statement that after arriving . 3:00. An American Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth to Los Angeles was diverted to Phoenix Feb. 24 after an in-flight passenger altercation, the carrier confirmed. According to Charles, the woman was still upset and thats when he told her, again, to mind her business and that safety wasnt an issue because they were still boarding the plane. The clip of the viral incident was posted by Facebook user Dre JusticeSunday. The incident took place on a plane headed fromDallas-Fort Worth, Texas to Los Angeles, California. An unruly passenger was removed from a Southwest Airlines airplane on Saturday morning after directing racial slurs, including the N-word, at a flight attendant . Couple Speaks Out After Being Kicked Off American Airlines, Airline GSK Employee Out at Company After Homophobic Rant on US Flight ", "We continue to investigate this incident and are working directly with impacted customers to ensure their well-being. The incident took place. One of the women"became upset and allegedly spit at the male passenger who had asked her to stop using that language," Sgt. Fortune said the man began recording the incident on his cellphoneand that's whenRodriguez allegedlystruck hishand to preventhim from recording. THE HILL 1625 K STREET, NW SUITE 900 WASHINGTON DC 20006 | 202-628-8500 TEL | 202-628-8503 FAX. Passengers sue American Airlines for racial discrimination after Black The Jamaican Legend Would Have Turned 78 Today. A spokesperson for American Airlines confirmed the incident to Fox News on Monday morning, sharing that flight 776, bound for LAX from Dallas-Fort Worth on Feb. 24, landed early in Phoenix due to the'in-flight customer altercation. "On Wednesday, GSK was notified of an incident involving an employee on a flight to Dallas," GSK tweeted on September 2. The incident took place. Man Confronts Woman Who Allegedly Called Him a Racial Slur in Video READ MORE: NAACP calls for Miami Beach police chief to resign after viral spring break arrest videos, Footage from the horrific flight with American Airline today.. there was a lot that lead up to the altercation. "When you see something that is wrong and unethical we need to stand up and say something," she said. A fight on a flight caused fright in the sky. But a spokesperson for American Airlines said the allegations "are not a full or accurate portrayal of the incident. American Airlines has denounced the behaviour of two passengers who reportedly began fighting with another traveller who asked that they stop using a racial slur on a recent flight from Dallas to Los Angeles. Cameras near the victim's door in the sprawling Holly . By Anabelle Doliner On 11/4/21 at 1:51 PM EDT. Get the fk off me! the white woman shouts, as the flight crew member she initially called the n-word attempts to help her by separates the two and guiding the Black woman to another area of the plane. American Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Diversion, Two Passengers The couple said they were kicked off their flight after a passenger, who is also an alleged American Airlines flight attendant,called Porscha the n-word. Mercedes Fortune after the plane diverted to the Arizona citys Sky Harbor International Airport. The pair allegedly grew angry and spit on a man after he asked them to stop using unspecified racist language. The person who posted the video said the man, who was filmed saying he was "a little intoxicated," became agitated when he was asked to leave the plane for acting inappropriately toward a woman in the seat next to him. U.S. Department of Defense and United Airlines conduct study and find the risk of exposure to coronavirus on commercial airlines is 'virtually nonexistent'; Fox News correspondent Bryan Llenas reports. AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images via Getty Images, NOW WATCH: How LA's vegan In-N-Out tastes. #VIRAL: Mother Shouts Racial Slurs At Black Cashier After Refusing To American said at the time it was reviewing the incident and had reached out to the men "to better understand their experience.. ", The suit states that when Banks boarded the flight on May 31 from Los Angeles to Phoenix he "politely requested if the flight was full and if he could change seats if open seats were available.". If found guilty, former GSK engineer Zachary Easterly We are all itching to start traveling once again, and when we do we are gonna wanna do it with the safest airlines when possible. A federal grand jury indicted Kelly Pichardo of the Bronx, New York, on June 29 for an incident that happened on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Los Angeles on Feb. 24. Insert loud obnoxious laugh HA!, one Instagram user commented. I turned around and told her, Im not a child, you need to mind your own business. An American Airlines flight originally scheduled to depart from Dallas, Texas and arrive at Los Angeles, California was diverted to Phoenix, Arizona last week after airline staff became aware of an onboard altercation that involved the use of an unspecified racial slur. In 2017, the NAACP issued an advisory warning African Americans to exercise caution when traveling on American Airlines following a "pattern of disturbing incidents.". The major carrier further disclosed that the two passengers may be placed on its no-fly list. "The flight attendant replied, 'Sir, step back,' in an aggressive and rudely intimidating tone," the suit reads. ET. Mrs. Davis reclined her seat while the aircraft was on an active taxiway, which is a violation of federal aviation safety regulations. Rodriguez was also accused of striking the man on the hand to stop him from recording, Fortune said. The airline has not confirmed or denied whether a racial slur was used during the altercation. Two Bronx women caused an American Airlines flight to divert due to their "disturbing and unacceptable" behavior including spitting at a passenger who asked them to stop using racial slurs,. Kelly Pichardo, 30, and Leeza Rodriguez, 29, were asked to stop using a slur by another passenger. You need to be locked the fk up. After speaking with the Davis family, we followed up with American Airlines. You are fg stupid. An American Airlines flight diverted to Phoenix after two female travelers cursed out then spit on a man who told them to stop using foul, racist language. When the altercation broke out, the plane diverted to Phoenix, where law enforcement removed and arrested two individuals for verbally and physically assaulting other customers and flight crew members.. This story has been shared 165,378 times. The flight eventually continued on to Los Angeles after the pair were taken off the plane, according to the Republic. A reclined seat is what began the altercation, according to the duo. The American Airlines 'pull-up passenger' - Inc.com An American Airlines flight from Dallas-Fort Worth en route to Los Angeles had to be diverted to Phoenix after two women traveling together got into a fight with another woman over an alleged racial slur. The incident happened on Wednesday, Feb. 24, and came to light today. The incident garnered plenty of reactions online, most of them unsympathetic toward the apparent loser in the scuffle. Pichardo faces a chargeof disorderly conduct andRodriguez faces charges of assault and disorderly conduct. The airline also wanted to also make mention that the deadheading flight attendant was not upgraded. Sign up to receive The Atlanta Black Star Newsletter in your inbox. Banks then flagged down a flight attendant and asked if he could sit closer to the front of the plane, the suit states. Complex Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Flight776 between Dallas-Fort Worth Airport and Los Angeles had to be diverted to Phoenix on Wednesday due to the incident. Contribute to Atlanta Black Star today and help us share our narratives. They have since been placed on American Airlines internalrefuse list as the investigation continues. The airline later apologized. Witnesses told Phoenix police that 30-year-oldKelly PichardoandLeeza Rodriguez, 29, were involved in the altercation. The white passenger, who is slurring her words as if she is intoxicated, seemed nonplussed by the reaction. An American Airlines flight was diverted to Phoenix after two women got into a fight with another passenger who asked them to stop using a racial slur, police said. American Airlines Passenger Gets the Business After Calling Black She was moved to a jumpseat to de-escalate the situation. WELCOME TO THE FAMILY! Based on eyewitness accounts from customers seated in the area, we have been unable to corroborate that a racial slur was used against Mrs. Davis by another passenger., While the investigation is still ongoing,we believe a verbal altercation between the Davises and an off-duty flight attendant seated behind them began while the aircraft was taxiing out for departure. GlaxoSmithKline says it has parted ways with an employee who was recorded making a lengthy homophobic rant on a US flight before declaring to passengers that he worked for the pharmaceuticals company. Banks was told that he could move to a different seat after boarding was completed, according to the lawsuit. The flight attendant reminded them of this requirement, and the Davises became verbally abusive towards the flight attendant and other crew members, which led to them being asked to leave the aircraft. Atlanta Black Star is a narrative company. Porscha, who used to be a flight attendant, said she accidentally pressed the button to recline her seat on the 787 aircraft during the boarding process. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider We thank our crewmembers for their professionalism in managing a difficult situation, it added. An American Airlines flight was diverted to Phoenix after two women got into a fight with another passenger who asked them to stop using a racial slur, police said. Racial Slurs Spur Fight in Miami (Once Again) - FlyerTalk Racial profiling involves discrimination against minority populations and often builds on negative stereotypes of the targeted demographic. WATCH: Frontier Flight Fight Video Goes Viral | Heavy.com American Airlines diverted flight: Passengers fight over racial slur 2021-03-29T00:44:17+00:00 Duration: 01:34 Drunken Party On Delta Air Lines Flight Ends After Racial Slur For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Kelly Pichardo, 30, and Leeza Rodriguez, 29, were arrested in Phoenix last Wednesday after the incident, which occurred on an American Airlines flight headed to Los Angeles from Dallas.. American Woman Kidnapped by Family and Allegedly Forced to marry for A $500K Dowry, Take Flight: 5 Destinations Under $300 Round-Trip in March, The 10 Best Places For Black Americans To Move Abroad, Happy Birthday, Bob Marley!