This is getting a little out of hand.
For the second time this week, an airplane had to be diverted after passengers fought over the right to recline the seat.
A Miami-to-Paris American Airlines flight was forced to land in Boston Wednesday after air marshals had to restrain a man fighting with a passenger trying to recline in front of him, ABC News reports. A federal affidavit on the incident said the air marshals took action after the man allegedly grabbed the arm at a flight attendant who intervened.
Edmond Alexandre, 61, of Paris, was taken off the plane and arrested. He had to be taken to a Boston hospital for a pre-existing medical condition, and was later arraigned at the hospital on a local charge of interfering with a flight crew. He also faces a federal charge, according to ABC News.
The first seat reclining incident occurred Sunday on a United Airlines flight. They had to divert to Chicago after one passenger used a Seat Defender device to prevent the person in front of them from reclining. The fight between the to passengers ended with the woman who was unable to recline throwing water in the other passenger’s face.
“Travelers today are more stressed than they’ve ever been before,” Scott Mayerowitz, an Associated Press airlines reporter, told ABC. “When you finally do get to your seat, there’s just less room than we’ve had in the past.”
