United Airlines passenger violently attacks seat mid-air, gets banned

A shocking video of a passenger attacking his seat during a flight has grabbed internet’s attention, sparking heated reactions online. The footage, which was shared on Reddit, depicts the passenger standing on his reclined seat and stomping on it repeatedly, much to the dismay of fellow travellers. At one point, the man even attempts to dismantle the seat by jumping on it violently.
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The incident, according to New York Post, took place on November 16 aboard a United Airlines flight from Austin to Los Angeles. The footage, which quickly gained traction online, was filmed by fellow passenger Gino Galofaro. He described how he woke up to the commotion and witnessed the increasingly disruptive behaviour.
Watch the clip here:
Galofaro, who filmed the incident, explained that at first, no one intervened. “The flight attendant walked by a couple of times, and nobody was doing anything,” he said. As the situation escalated, Galofaro, along with two other passengers, decided to step in and restrain the disruptive traveller.
In a bid to stop the rampage, the three passengers used zip ties to secure the man’s hands and feet and then seatbelted him into his chair. When the flight landed at Los Angeles International Airport, the man was handed over to local law enforcement. A spokesperson for United Airlines confirmed the incident, stating that the customer was banned from future flights with the airline.
“We thank our crew for helping address the situation and working to ensure the safety of everyone on board,” said the United Airlines spokesperson.
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In the comments section, Reddit users shared a range of reactions. One user expressed disbelief, saying, “How did the crew not notice sooner? This is insane.” Another comment read, “I’ve never seen something so chaotic on a plane. Kudos to the passengers who stepped in!” Some users also shared concerns about what could have caused such extreme behaviour, with one saying, “I wonder if there were underlying issues. We don’t know the full story.”
Others questioned the airline’s response, with one comment reading, “Why didn’t they have more control over the situation? A flight attendant should’ve acted faster.” Meanwhile, some applauded the efforts of Galofaro and his fellow passengers, with one writing, “Great job by the passengers who helped calm the situation down. This could have gotten much worse.”