A Delta flight had to make an emergency landing at Eastern lowa Airport due to a passenger who tried to open the emergency exit mid-air, local media reports said.
The incident was reported on July 17 and the flight was going from Omaha to Detroit.
Media reports added that the incident was recorded around 7 p.m. local time.
Authorities added that the passenger was involved in a physical altercation with a flight attendant of the plane.
Who Was The Unruly Passenger In The Plane?
Realizing the importance of the situation, the pilot decided to land the plane safely at the nearest available airport.
As soon as the plane landed, the law enforcement officers detained the passenger, said reports.
Reports added that the passenger was a 23-year-old man named Mario Nikprelaj, a resident of Nebraska.
Police arrested him on multiple charges that include assault, disorderly conduct, harassment, and tax stamp violation.
There were no injuries to the passengers but the flight was delayed by about three hours in reaching its destination, reports added.
SkyWest Airlines, the company which operates Delta Air Lines, said, “SkyWest has and an adherence to the safety and security of their passengers and employees.”
“Nothing is more important than the safety of our passengers and crew and we would like to thank our timely responding flight attendants, as well as the local law enforcement in Cedar Rapids,” the airline added.
Surge In the Cases Of Misbehaviour In Flights?
Recent reports have pointed out that there has been a significant increase in the cases of unruly passengers.
Reports suggest that more than 870 passengers have been accused of being unruly on flights this year in the US.
The punishments for these vary according to the extent of the complaints levied against the passenger.
These can include heavy fines, jail term, and blacklisted from the future flights, reports say.
A similar incident happened earlier this year in May as well when a flight was diverted due to a passenger named Jendaya Kashar Brennan.
Reportedly, Brennan had also tried to open the emergency gate at a height of 32,000 feet.
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