On Tuesday night, July 13, 2023, on Frontier Airlines flight 2143 from Philadelphia to Las Vegas. The two women, who were traveling together, started arguing and throwing punches at each other in front of shocked fellow passengers. They also hurled loud expletives and insults at each other and at the cabin crew who tried to intervene. A passenger who recorded the video of the brawl told KLAS that a flight attendant tried several times to stop the fight before finally separating the women and moving one to a different seat. But that didn’t calm them down. The women continued to shout at each other and hurl expletives even after being separated. At one point, one of the women apparently struck a male passenger on or near his head as she stormed off to the lavatory.
The video also captured the reactions of other passengers, who were clearly annoyed and disgusted by the women’s behavior. Some of them told the women to “shut up” and “get some class”. Others warned them that they were going to jail and asked them who they were trying to impress. The flight crew decided that the situation was too disruptive and dangerous to continue the flight to Las Vegas. They diverted the plane to Denver International Airport, where the women were escorted off the plane by police and FBI agents. The rest of the passengers cheered and applauded as they saw them leave.
The flight was delayed for about an hour before resuming its journey to Las Vegas. A spokesperson for Frontier Airlines praised the crew for how they handled the situation and apologized to the passengers for any inconvenience. It is not clear what sparked the fight between the two women or what their relationship was. Their identities have not been revealed yet. It is also not clear whether they face any criminal charges or civil lawsuits for their actions.
However, they will likely face some consequences from Frontier Airlines, which has a zero-tolerance policy for unruly behavior on board its flights. According to its website, Frontier Airlines may impose fines, ban passengers from future flights, or take legal action against anyone who engages in disruptive or violent conduct on its aircraft. This incident is not an isolated case. According to a report by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there have been more than 3,000 cases of unruly passenger behavior reported so far this year, compared to 146 in 2019. The FAA attributes this spike to several factors, including stress, alcohol consumption, mask mandates, and political tensions. The FAA has also issued a stern warning to travelers that it will not tolerate any misconduct on flights and will impose hefty fines and penalties for anyone who violates its rules. The FAA has already proposed more than $560,000 in fines against unruly passengers this year.