American Airlines flight hours from Milan landing returns to NYC after unruly passenger identified as a dad with a baby acts up forcing plane with 300 passengers to return to JFK airport.
Define flying etiquette? Uproar has ensued after an American Airlines flight was forced to return to NYC four hours after having taken off bound for Milan, Italy with less than four hours to go when a father made a scene on board the craft, forcing the airline’s hand (seemingly) and leading to over 300 passengers fuming.
The incident unfolded Monday on a flight from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York to Milan, Italy, as passengers said the man sparked a commotion as the jet was over the Atlantic Ocean.
The man, who remained named, reportedly threw himself at a flight attendant and attempted to force his way into the cockpit.
Unruly passenger sends Milan bound flight into upheaval
Krystie Tomlinson, a passenger on the flight, told CBS News: ‘The whole thing started because of a meal choice they didn’t get.’
She said it appeared the passenger had asked for a specific meal ‘ahead of time’, and also wanted to sit in the exit row because he had a baby with him.
When the man’s requests were rebuffed, the witness said ‘those two things are what pushed the person over the edge.’
Another passenger, Michael Scigliano, said the chaos on board was made worse by the fact there was no air marshal on board.
He said after the pilot announced he was turning the plane around, passengers were left with ‘this crazy man’ in the plane ‘unprotected and unrestrained.’
Scigliano added that passengers on board the jet were also confused because the pilot only said the plane was reversing due to a technical issue.
‘Which is even scarier,’ he said.
American Airlines no spare change for inconvenienced passengers
Tomlinson said when the passenger was losing his temper, others on board ‘were asking around if there were any police officers or Army members, or somebody who could help because there were no air marshals on.’
The flight left around 7pm, and after the unruly passenger forced the U-turn, those on board found themselves back at JFK Airport at 3am.
Miffed passengers complained American Airlines ‘offered us nothing’ once passengers returned to the airport.
‘I asked to use the American Airlines lounge to breastfeed and change – They said you can go in if you pay $79,’ Scigliano told CBS News.
American Airlines rescheduled the full flight for Tuesday morning, 16 hours after their original departure time, according to the Daily Beast.
A Milan-bound American Airlines flight departing from New York was forced to turn around over the Atlantic after a passenger on board allegedly became disruptive and challenged flight attendants who told him to return to his seat. @GioBenitez has details. https://t.co/30r1FG89yP pic.twitter.com/Nlaa96s6fp
— World News Tonight (@ABCWorldNews) April 9, 2025
Passengers offered nothing for their inconvenience
Aviation trial attorney Robert Clifford told the outlet that the pilot’s decision to turn the plane around could have been out of his hands, and would have done what he thought was ‘best.’
‘We don’t know all the things that the pilot knows,’ he said.
But here’s the best part kids.
According to a police source who spoke to CBS News, the unnamed passenger who caused the scene was released without facing any charges.
Said American Airlines in a statement: ‘American Airlines flight 198 with service from New York (JFK) to Milan (MXP) returned to JFK due to a disruptive passenger.
‘The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we thank our customers for their understanding.’
And then there were these comments on the web that caught this author’s attention. See what you think?
He needs to be jailed, banned from flying, and fined about $1million
Trying to enter the cockpit is itself a federal offense. Interfering with a flight crew is a federal offense. How was this guy allowed to walk without charges?
Seriously, the FAA should update their policies and make disrupting a flight punishable by at least 30 days in jail, a minimum fine of $100,000 and a flying ban for at least one year.
This was handled wrong. They should have been beaten and thrown out of the plane.
An extended stay in an El Salvadoran hoosegow, with no choice of meals, ought to do the trick.
