She's a graduate of the University of Iowa, where she was managing editor of the award-winning student newspaper, The Daily Iowan. Both airlines have since resumed alcohol sales. Health Receive the latest airlines news, delivered straight to your inbox. During the flights final descent, the attendant had asked Quinonez to buckle her seat belt, stow her tray table, and put on her facemask properly. Now, she must pay for her actions by serving 15 months in federal prison. The attendant apologized, according to the source, but Hsu later walked to the galley and allegedly punched her twice. Let me be clear: we messed up, said a draft of prepared Senate testimony from Watterson viewed by The Dallas Morning News. WebA Southwest Airlines flight attendant was assaulted by a passenger and lost two teeth in the attack last weekend, according to a union president. Your email address will not be published. WebFederal charges were filed Wednesday against a passenger accused of striking a Southwest Airlines flight attendant in the face during a May flight to San Diego. Opinions expressed here are the authors alone, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. As far as sentencing goes, the woman: This is the second Southwest passenger to be sentenced to jail this past week. This means that the approximately 16,000 flight attendants employed by the airline have been working without a new contract for four years. Aquino-Washington, who appeared via video-conference from her home in El Paso, read from a prepared statement to say she was "deeply sorry for the actions I did before my diagnosis. According to HuffPost, this determination was made by the federal judge in San Diego on Tuesday, who also ordered Quinonez to pay almost $26,000 in restitution as well as a $7,500 fine. 0:00. While the plane was preparing for landing, the flight attendant asked Quinonez to put her face mask on correctly, buckle her seat belt, and fold her tray table. Alexandra has previously worked at the Oregonian in Portland, OR and The Gazette in Cedar Rapids, IA. According to the plea agreement, the flight attendant suffered multiple bruises and a cut under one of her eyes that required stitches. According to court records, on Jan. 9, 2021, Little Rock police responded to the Little Rock National Airport after being notified of an unruly passenger onboard a domestic flight. Southwest Airlines maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding any type of harassment or assault and fully support our Employee as we cooperate with local authorities regarding this unacceptable incident.". ", "So your argument is this is a mental health event and the first time it happened?" A Southwest Airlines flight attendant who lost two teeth after she was physically assaulted by a passenger on Sunday is among the more egregious examples of There were three officers who came on the plane and one of them was still back there with the flight attendant, passenger Susan Marie Stidham told FOX40. Her lawyer, Knut S. Johnson, said Tuesday that he had no comment on the case. Yes! Things To Do Given this story, I would say the guy who was masturbating on Southwest got off easy. Women In Business. JUST IN: The woman who punched a Southwest Airlines flight attendant in May has been officially charged in federal court with two felonies, including assault and interfering with a flight crew. Beginning at 10:00 a.m. today, March 2, off-duty flight attendants represented by the TWU Local 556 union organized an informational picket outside Dallas Love Field airport, demanding improvement of working conditions as well as a modernization of the airlines system. The disruptions in December paralyzed travel for more than a week before and after Christmas as about 2 million passengers lost seats on flights. Jackson "verbally and physically" assaulted a female operations agent shortly after boarding Flight 4976 to New York City's LaGuardia Airport, a Southwest spokesperson told Newsweek. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Inc. Material from the Associated Press is Copyright 2023, Associated Press and may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The airline told Newsweek at the time that the pilot has been placed on leave while an internal investigation is underway and pending the results of charges filed with local authorities. The flight attendant bumped into Hsu who was traveling in first class, the source said. To learn more about ChatGPT and how we can inspire students, we sat down with BestReviews book expert, Ciera Pasturel. Associated Press text, photo, graphic, audio and/or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. Glenroy was our main flight attendant. Brenda Marie Aquino-Washington, 22, of El Paso, pleaded guilty in January to a misdemeanor count of assault in maritime and territorial jurisdiction, for which she could have received a maximum prison term of one year and a fine of $100,000. Earlier this month, a California woman said a Southwest flight attendant called police on her while she was flying with her biracial daughter after suspecting her of human trafficking. document.getElementById( "ak_js" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); She should be banned for life and have her name shared with every major domestic and international carriers on the list. By Alexandra Skores. Woman found dead with a gunshot wound in South Sacramento,. This picket is the last of three protests organized across the country. Community This proposal, along with the remaining unresolved issues, will provide the basis for the remainder of the contract talks, the union said in a statement. You can see part of the video of the assault for yourself below, though be warned that its graphic. According to aSouthwest airlines spokesperson, the passenger ignored the flight crews constant reminders of wearing a seatbelt and putting her tray table away, and she became verbally and physically combative upon landing. Latest The union said a lack of hot food and sometimes even hotel rooms leave flight attendants with little to eat and sometimes sleeping on the airport floor. She pushed the flight attendant then stood up and punched her. For our customers and our crews, Southwest Airlines has to Make It Right! The union that represents more than 23,000 flight attendants at American Airlines has officially filed for federal mediation in stalled contract talks with the Dallas Fort Worth-based carrier after the two sides hit an impasse in a number of critical areas. #MakeItRightSWA#MakeItRightSWAFor info and graphics: https://t.co/mfEAcsXSbk#TWU556 pic.twitter.com/vFQfiF1Vvh. ", Print Headline: Woman gets probation for flight altercation. Klicken Sie auf Alle ablehnen, wenn Sie nicht mchten, dass wir und unsere Partner Cookies und personenbezogene Daten fr diese zustzlichen Zwecke verwenden. Wow. The 29-year-old Sacramento woman is prohibited from flying for three years while she is on supervised release and must participate in anger management classes or counseling. We remain engaged in negotiations with TWU 556 and the National Mediation Board to achieve a new contract that rewards our flight attendants and allows us to continue attracting great talent.. Couple gets married aboard a Southwest flight. [13] Southwest is the largest operator of the Boeing 737 worldwide. It was all over Johnny Jet , August 6, 2021 Travel Video of the Week: Alaska Airlines Safety Dance Secondly - I am dismayed that nobody came to the FA's aid sooner but then nobody ever wants to get involved, yeah? HuffPost was unable to reach either Quinonez or her attorney for comment. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) said on Friday that it had asked the National Mediation Board to assign a mediator in a bid to break the deadlock with management at American Airlines. We do not condone or tolerate verbal or physical abuse of our Flight Crews, and we will continue to work with both the FAA and the Union to preserve and protect the safety and well-being of our Flight Crews and Customers. Stay prepared. They get 15 months in prison, but I give them 65% of the settlement! Livia Albeck-Ripka contributed reporting. A flight Following last years operational meltdown, Southwest Airlines is under fire once again, but this time the heat is coming from its own workforce. Early next week, the union intends to present its proposals for wage improvements, including boarding pay, to the company. Southwest Airlines flight attendants are set to hold an informational picket Thursday. Recommended Stories. Delta is cutting 100 daily flights this summer. Southwest Passenger Who Punched Flight Attendant Sentenced To 15 Months Prison Time. According to NBCDFW, these negotiations have been ongoing since 2018, well before the pandemic added stress to the airline industry. I think this is just a situation where probation will be appropriate. Your feedback is important in helping us keep our community safe. Of course you do. The passenger, Vyvianna Quinonez, allegedly punched and grabbed the hair of the female flight attendant, who lost two teeth and suffered other injuries to her face on the May 23 flight from Wtf is wrong with you? Southwest Airlines flight attendants pressed executives to fix the technology problems that contributed to the December meltdown Tomorrow we are picketing in Dallas! The passenger plead guilty to one count of interference with flight crew members and attendants. Theres some real archaic, not just technologies and not just work rules, but archaic ways of thinking that have to change, added Massoni. Woman Pleads Guilty to Interfering with a Southwest Airlines Flight Attendant Wednesday, December 22, 2021 For Immediate Release U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of California Assistant U. S. Attorneys Jaclyn Stahl (619) 546-8456 and Megan Rossi (619) 546-9661 NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY December 22, 2021 In response to Sundays incident, Southwest sent FOX40 a statement. The AP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing. I dont know what makes somebody do such a stupid thing, I honestly dont, Stidham said. The passenger accused of punching a Southwest Airlines flight attendant and breaking three of her teeth on a May flight now faces federal felony charges. Agreed 100%. Dao got his ass beat by the police not United crew. He was exceptionally entertaining very helpful, made it fun. Pam and Jeremy Saldas planned to tie the knot in Vegas. Have you subscribed to our free weekly newsletter? Outside of banner ads published through the Boarding Area network, this compensation does not impact how and where products appear on this site. Flight Attendants at American Airlines File For Mediation in Stalled Contract Talks After Substantive Disagreements Emerge, Three American Citizens Banged Up in Foreign Jails For Attempting to Smuggle 191 Pounds of Cannabis into Britain, Airlines Take Dutch Government to Court Over Plans to Slash Flights at Amsterdams Schiphol Airport For Environmental Reasons, Qantas Goes On Hiring Spree With Plans to Recruit 2,300 New Pilots, Flight Attendants and Engineers Over The Next 18-Months, Air India Goes On Hiring Spree With Plans to Recruit 4,200 New Flight Attendants and 900 Pilots, Qantas is Trying to Convince Flight Attendants Who Were Made Redundant During the Pandemic to Rejoin Airline, American Airlines Flight Attendants Warned Not to Self Help By Refusing to Serve Customers in Ongoing Contract Dispute, FAA Investigates After Unruly Passenger Attempts to Breach Cockpit On Washington DC Bound Plane On Wednesday, British Airways is to Trial a Pre-Order Service That Will Let Passengers in All Cabins Guarantee Their First Meal Choice, After Struggling to Recruit Enough Staff, Airlines Including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Are Already Offering Unpaid Leave, British Airways Makes History After it Operates its First Ever ABC Flight (All Black Crew), Second Delta Air Flight Attendant Alleges Coworkers Called Asian Crew the Chinese Mafia in Race Discrimination Suit, 70-Year-Old Social Worker Accused of Jabbing Delta Air Flight Attendant in Row Over Broken Tray Table, Its Either You or Me: Delta Air Flight Attendant Demands Jewish Man Deplanes Flight in Antisemitism Row, Etihad Airways Forced to Suspend Online Check-In For Nine Days As it Updates IT System, Etihad Airways Flight Attendant Tells Amazing Story of Becoming the First Person in Her Village to Ever Work Abroad, Pilots of Etihad Airways Airbus A321 Declare Mayday and Make Emergency Landing After Receiving Engine Stall Alert. I think the airline should be required to have some sort of compensation or benefit for the other passengers on the flight. Several passengers grabbed at Ms. Quinonezs clothes to try to stop her. In a statement after the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said, Attacks on flight crew members, who perform vital jobs to ensure passenger safety, will not be tolerated., FBISpecial Agent in Charge Stacey Moy also chimed in, stating that the outcome of the case should send a very strong message to air travelers the FBI will vigorously pursue anyone who assaults or interferes with flight crews.. Over a year after the incident took place, the passenger has finally been sentenced this past week by a federal judge in San Diego. The assault came amid a surge of unruly and violent behavior by passengers who shoved, struck and yelled at flight attendants. Upon arrival, police were told that Aquino-Washington, while onboard the flight from Nashville, Tenn. to San Antonio, Texas, removed her face mask several times and became combative when told to put it back on. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. A passenger has just been sentenced to 15 months in jail for her behavior on a May 2021 Southwest Airlines flight. Bryant did not ask for jail time for Aquino-Washington but instead asked for the statutory maximum of five years probation. Issues that the two sides remain at loggerheads on include sick leave provisions, scheduling agreement and the use of reserve duties. Earlier this year, a passenger punched a Southwest flight attendant aboard a May 23 flight from Sacramento, California, to San Diego. punched a Southwest Airlines flight attendant, Woman charged with assault after punching Southwest flight attendant on May flight, Here's why airlines can pass on some additional costs to travelers. Websouthwest airlines pilot dies of covid. asked Miller.