A disgruntled passenger was kicked off a Spirit Airlines flight bound for Florida from New York City for refusing to wear a face mask, authorities said.
On Friday, a tense confrontation between an unidentified man and a Port Authority police officer resulted in an arrest at LaGuardia Airport in Queens.
Flight attendants alleged that the man was being disruptive and authorities were called to intervene.
The footage shows the man already seated on his flight to Fort Lauderdale while arguing with a police officer about covering his face.
In-flight facial masks have become commonplace in the United States as the coronavirus pandemic continues with significant spikes in the southern United States.
‘The whole plane is a witness. I did not do anything! the man says to the officer of the Port Authority. Tell me why I’m not flying.
An unidentified man (left) on a Spirit Airlines flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was kicked off his flight on Friday for not wearing a face mask.
Although much of the officer’s speech is muffled by his face mask, he can be heard telling the man that he has been asked to put on a mask.
The man is accused of “putting a little on someone’s face,” but he vehemently denies it.
Did I put myself in someone’s face? I didn’t put myself in anyone’s face, ‘says the man. I’ve been sitting here waiting for you to come.
As the two men continue to argue, the man reveals that he is traveling to see his father who suffered a stroke.
The man (left) argued with a Port Authority police officer (right) who was traveling to see his sick father in Florida and who was to remain on the flight.
‘I’m asking you, what do you want me to do?’ the officer asks.
“I would like to stay on the flight,” responds the man.
The officer says to the man, “I can’t force them to let you stay on the flight,” and continues to ask that the man mask himself or be removed.
Meanwhile, several passengers watching the exchange intervene on behalf of the man and demand that he remain on the flight.
Let this man fly. Why can’t you go home? A passenger says.
The video ends with the man refusing to leave the flight, but additional footage appears to show that the man was arrested by Port Authority officials.
Cell phone images appeared to show the man (center) arrested by Port Authority officials after being removed from the flight.
Spirit Airlines released a statement after the incident was shared on social media and began to attract attention.
“Spirit Airlines asked police to intervene after a man boarded flight NK197 from LaGuardia to Fort Lauderdale, removed the cover from his face and refused to put it back on,” the statement said.
Ultimately, the man chose to disembark alone rather than risk legal consequences.
‘Spirit will always be wrong on the precautionary side when it comes to the health and safety of our Guests. Wearing a face mask is simple, it’s easy, and it’s critical for Spirit and the airline industry in general. ”
Spirit Airlines, and several other airlines, now require air travel passengers to wear face masks or covers during flights
Spirit Airlines, like other major airlines, updated its security requirements for air travel passengers in May due to a virus that has nearly shut down the industry.
“All guests should wear appropriate face masks or covers over their nose and mouth to better align with the CDC’s recommendations for cloth face covers in public places,” the company said in a press release.
Spirit Airlines also implemented high-level mist treatments to thoroughly clean aircraft and high-efficiency particulate air filters.
The emphasis on clean planes came when multiple waves of coronavirus cases affected several southern states, including Florida.
In June, infections in Florida increased by 168 percent or more than 95,000 new cases. The percentage of tests that tested positive shot up to 15 percent from four percent in late May.
This means that Florida, home to 21 million people, has reported more new cases of coronavirus daily than any European country had at the height of its outbreaks.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo named Florida among the 16 states where residents will be asked to quarantine if they travel to the Big Apple.
Quarantine applies to anyone arriving from a state with a positive test rate greater than 10 per 100,000 residents on a seven-day moving average or a state with a positivity rate of 10% or more on a moving average of seven days.
“As an increasing number of states across the country grapple with significant community expansion, New York is taking steps to maintain the precarious security of its gradual and data-based reopening,” Cuomo said in a statement.
In an attempt to keep track of who is traveling to New York from those states, the state Department of Health is asking airlines to distribute a questionnaire to passengers once they board their flights.
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