The airline said a passenger “verbally and physically assaulted” an agent while boarding on Saturday.
DALLAS – Updated at 1:52 pm with more information on the condition of the Southwest employee.
A Southwest Airlines employee was rushed to hospital after being assaulted by a passenger while boarding on Saturday.
In a statement to the WFAA, an airline spokesman said the incident occurred at Dallas Love Field Airport. According to the spokesman, a passenger “verbally and physically attacked” an employee before a flight to La Guardia airport.
The spokesman said the employee had been taken to a hospital. A separate Southwest statement on Sunday confirmed the employee was released from the hospital on Saturday night and is resting at home.
“We have a ward manager with her at the hospital with the full support of her Southwest Family who sends our thoughts, prayers and love.”
Dallas police said the passenger, identified on Sunday as 32-year-old Arielle Jean Jackson, stepped into the tail of the plane and had a “verbal argument” with a flight attendant asking her to close the plane leaving. According to police, Jackson went to the front of the aircraft, had another “verbal argument” with a Southwest Airlines operating agent, and hit a woman on the head with his fist.
Jackson has been taken into custody by law enforcement, police said. She faces serious assault charges.
“Southwest Airlines has a zero-tolerance policy of harassment or assault of any kind and is fully committed to our employees in working with local authorities on this unacceptable incident,” said a statement from Southwest Airlines.
Experts say they have seen an increase in unruly passengers amid the COVID-19 pandemic and that this is a trend that needs to be addressed.
“It’s hell for airline employees,” said Henry Harteveldt, a travel industry analyst with Atmosphere Research Group. “It is totally unacceptable for someone to be attacked at their place of business.”
In 2021, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, there were 5,114 recalcitrant passenger reports, 3,710 of them through masks. The FAA has opened more investigations into unruly passengers than in the past seven years combined.
Harteveldt said airlines and employees are preparing for a travel season that could match 2019 numbers with more Americans vaccinated.
“Thanksgiving is always a stressful time to travel,” he said. “We know this. It is the most intense travel time of the year. “
The violence is also affecting the airlines’ ability to hire staff and fill vacancies that have emerged in 2020.
TWU Local 556, which represents Southwest flight attendants, has requested that uniformed security patrol gate areas be conducted. Hateveldt says it won’t stop problems on flights. He says there are discussions to create an exchange of banned passengers between the airlines.
“It’s something that some airlines have been talking about and some airlines have said they support it,” he said.
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