A flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to the Bahamas was pushed back a day after a group of more than 30 high school students refused to wear masks on board the plane before takeoff.
American Airlines Flight 893 was scheduled to leave for Nassau at 9:30 a.m. Monday, but was initially delayed due to mechanical issues. After passengers switched planes, the flight was again delayed after dozens of Boston-area teens refused to wear masks, which are legally required on aircraft by federal regulators, according to WSOC-TV in Charlotte.
An American flight from Charlotte was delayed a day after some passengers refused to wear masks. Here’s how the airline responded after changing the travel plan. https://t.co/MA4apof2X4
— The Charlotte Observer (@theobserver) July 6, 2021
The standoff reportedly lasted for hours before the flight was cancelled until Tuesday.
“It was bad. First, they were yelling. They were cursing. They were being very obnoxious,” Malik Banks, who was seated next to the kids, told WSOC-TV. “It wasn’t all of them. I would say 75% to 80% of them were being terrible kids, saying smart stuff.”
“Some people’s vacations are ruined. They were only going for a couple of nights. Now, they have to get rebooked,” another passenger, Stephanie Krzywanski, told the outlet. (RELATED: Poll: 57% Of Republicans Think The Pandemic Is Over — But Only 4% Of Democrats Agree)
Police reportedly said nobody was arrested for the incident. The adults passengers who were stranded were given hotel vouchers, while the students were too young to be eligible and had to spend the night inside the airport, according to WSOC-TV.
“Well, I’m a nurse, and it’s really, really hard to get time off work. So when you finally get time off, you really want to be somewhere you want to be,” passenger Christina Randolph said.