An American Airlines plane was forced to turn around mid-flight because a passenger refused to abide by mask rules, The New York Times reported Thursday.
The flight, which was headed Wednesday from Miami to London, was met by police upon landing, the outlet reported. It was unclear whether police had charged or detained anyone in relation to the incident.
American Airlines stated the plane was forced to turn around due to a “a disruptive customer refusing to comply with the federal mask mandate,” The NYT reported. (RELATED: Major Airline CEOs Question The Need For Masks On Planes)
After the flight returned to Miami International Airport, over 100 passengers were told they had to deplane, CBS Miami reported. One passenger told the local outlet they were “disappointed” about the incident.
“They really wouldn’t say anything and I don’t think they told the flight attendants anything because all they would say is there was an extreme incident and they had to turn around,” the passenger said.
The flight was ultimately canceled, according to CBS Miami.
WATCH:
A Bahamas-bound American Airlines flight from North Carolina was delayed a day after a group of over 30 teenagers refused to wear masks in July 2021.
Another incident that occurred in October involved a flight from New York to California in which a passenger reportedly attacked a flight attendant over a mask dispute, sending the flight attendant to the hospital.
In its annual report, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) indicated there were a total of 5,981 unruly passengers in 2021, with 4,290 incidents related to masks.