American Airlines flight to London forced to turn around mid-flight over mask compliance
An American Airlines flight from Miami to London on Wednesday night turned around over the Atlantic ocean about an hour into the trip after a passenger reportedly refused to wear a face mask.
The airline spokesperson said the flight was forced to turn around due to a passenger “refusing to comply with the federal mask requirement.”
American Airlines Flight 38, a Boeing 777 with 129 passengers and 14 crew members abroad, was about 500 miles into its over 4,000-mile journey when it turned back for Miami late Wednesday, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware.
The return was “due to a disruptive customer refusing to comply with the federal mask requirement,” American said in a statement. “The flight landed safely at MIA where local law enforcement met the aircraft. We thank our crew for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience.”
The passenger has been banned from flying the airline pending an investigation, the carrier said.
The Transportation Security Administration’s face mask requirement applies to all travelers age 2 and older at airports, onboard commercial aircraft, on buses and rail systems through March 18, 2022.
It’s unknown if the passenger will be fined by TSA, which has a penalty of $500-$1,000 for first-time offenders and $1,000-$3,000 for second-time offenders.
Last year, the Federal Aviation Administration announced a zero tolerance policy toward unruly airline passengers, who could face fines of up to $35,000 for assaulting and interfering with flight attendants. It was not immediately clear whether the travel on board American Airlines flight was arrested or charged upon landing.
