These Are The Worst Airline Passengers Who Should Never Fly Again

Unruly behavior from passengers has become an unstoppable problem for commercial airlines. Flights continue to be diverted due to passengers attempting to enter the cockpit, aggressively arguing with other people onboard or attacking flight attendants, despite the efforts of government regulators. The Federal Aviation Administration has levied record fines against unruly passengers and referred cases to the FBI, but it hasn't had a significant impact.

Congress sporadically considered establishing a federal no-fly list for unruly passengers over the past few years. The most recent bill introduced in March last year aimed to ban travelers who were fined or convicted of serious physical violence or abuse while flying. Focus has understandably shifted towards the dangerous quality control issue plaguing Boeing and its 737 Max airliners, but people are still causing chaos in passenger cabins.

United Airlines Flight 883 was diverted to Bangor International Airport on March 1. A male passenger was loudly arguing with his girlfriend, according to ABC News. The couple appeared to be intoxicated. The passenger became combative when the crew intervened and was restrained using plastic cuffs. The couple was removed from the flight in Maine and banned by United Airlines flights while the incident is reviewed. The man was charged with assault and interfering with a flight crew.

A business class passenger on United Airlines Flight 20 last July, a nine-hour flight between Houston and Amsterdam, became so upset about not getting their preferred meal choice that the Boeing 777 had to be diverted to O'Hare Airport in Chicago. I wish I could be disappointed by getting the worst choice on a menu listing seared beef short rib, seared lemongrass salmon, or ricotta salata and wild honey manicotti.

A student pilot tried to rush the cockpit multiple times during an Alaska Airlines flight. While sitting in seat 6E, he got up three times and tried to open the cockpit door. The student told the flight attendants that he was testing them, according to CBS News. The flight attendants got two off-duty law enforcement officers to help restrain him using plastic cuffs. They sat with the rogue student pilot for the rest of the flight from California to Dulles International Airport. He now faces up to 20 years in prison.

Three passengers were kicked off an Allegiant Airlines flight at Flint Bishop International Airport for saying penis in December 2022. Yes, saying penis. Erin Marquis explained:

"A father-in-law and son duo claimed things came to a head after the flight crew lumped them in with a couple of combative intoxicated passenger. The cock-up came when the pair, who say they were merely having a good old time and saying the word "penis" for no particular reason, were thrust from their flight."

The carrier told a different story than the two men, stating that they refused to comply with the crew members' instructions. Allegiant did offer the ejected passengers tickets on a different flight but they declined.

It's not clear how a fistfight broke out on Southwest Airlines Flight 1288, but someone pulled out a camera to record the incident. When the recording started, there was already an argument underway on the flight from Oakland, California to Hawaii. A passenger standing at his window slaps the arm of a guy approaching him in the aisle. The man in the aisle says, "Shut the fuck up," and starts throwing hands. The pair are quickly pulled apart by flight attendants and other passengers. USA Today reports the brawling duo could face fines and criminal prosecution.

The rogue student pilot mentioned earlier wasn't the first person to attempt to cause chaos on a flight from California to the nation's capital. However, the flight attendants on an American Airlines flight got far more violent to subdue an unruly passenger. Andy Kalmowitz explained:

"Juan Rivas, a Los Angeles resident, was subdued by both passengers and crew members when he tried to open one of the plane's doors. The real highlight of the melee was one flight attendant who hit Rivas over the head with a coffee pot as he tried to open the door."

passengers held the individual and a flight attendant used a coffee pot to subdue him as the plane descended rapidly. the man was bleeding as the police in this video are taking him off the flight after landing in Kansas #AA1775 pic.twitter.com/HL2JnyYglw

— Mouaz Moustafa (@SoccerMouaz) February 13, 2022

The flight attendants, along with two off-duty law enforcement officers and two other passengers, eventually restrained Rivas by duct-taping his legs together and handcuffing him. The plane was diverted to Kansas City.

In February 2022, Frontier Airlines Flight 1335 was forced to divert to Raleigh-Durham International Airport during a service from New York and Orlando. A passenger was poked in the head by someone behind him and he responded by accusing them of trying to steal his DNA. He then escalated to threatening to kill passengers and tried to break a window on the plane. Other people onboard jumped to action to restrain the unruly passenger with belts while the flight attendants blocked off the aisles.

It should be obvious why flight attendants will stop at nothing to prevent anyone from opening an exit door while a plane is airborne. Passengers on an Asiana Airlines flight in South Korea found out the hard way when someone made it to an emergency exit door and got it open. A dozen people were injured, but luckily no one was killed on the Airbus A321. The cabin crew couldn't reach the unruly passenger in time because they were preparing for landing.

A passenger opened an emergency exit door during a flight in South Korea, forcing the crew to land while it was still open.

Air blew through the cabin of the Asiana Airlines jet, slightly injuring 12 people. pic.twitter.com/Nl8HqXeiLb

— The Associated Press (@AP) May 26, 2023