‘Drunk’ passengers have been caught clashing with airport police in wild videos filmed at the Tampa airport.
Footage shows Florida travelers getting into disorderly disputes with police after being denied travel – or in one case even refusing to get off the plane.
According to WFLA police figures, the number of unruly passengers has skyrocketed following the coronavirus pandemic.
As many as 5,973 cases were recorded nationwide in 2021, as people became angry about restrictions such as the requirement to fly with a mask.
This figure fell to 2,455 cases in 2022 – although this is still much higher than pre-pandemic totals.
‘Drunk’ airline passengers caught clashing with airport police in wild videos filmed at Tampa airport
A wild clip shows a man staggering through the airport wearing just one shoe as an officer leads him firmly by the arm towards an exit (pictured)
Footage shows Florida travelers getting into disorderly disputes with police after being denied travel – or in one case even refusing to get off the plane (pictured)
“You all need to leave,” an officer tells an allegedly drunk couple at the airport in a video captured by another officer’s body-worn camera.
‘Why won’t they let me fly? That’s not fair. I know my rights,” the female passenger says as the situation escalates.
“AREST ME RIGHT NOW!” she shouts at the police while pointing at them.
‘I know my damn rights! Nobody’s drunk!’
Police proceed to remove her male companion before handcuffing her – in the first of several videos released by WFLA with more airport disruptions.
In another clip recorded at the gate, a security guard is seen telling police that a passenger “will not leave the aircraft unless physically removed.”
Moments later, an officer escorts the passenger off the plane as he protests to them, asking for the reason why he was kicked out.
Another wild clip shows a man staggering through the airport wearing only one shoe as an officer leads him firmly by the arm toward an exit.
He says “no, I’m good here,” prompting the police to handcuff him as he asks, “Are you kidding me?”
Passengers who cause trouble on planes can be fined up to $37,000 by the FAA if their behavior causes the plane to be diverted.
The number of unruly airport passengers skyrocketed due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to police figures obtained by WFLA
“You all need to leave,” an officer tells an allegedly drunk couple at the airport in a video captured by another officer’s body-worn camera
Passengers who cause trouble on planes can be fined up to $37,000 by the FAA if their behavior causes the plane to be diverted
Several cases of violent behavior and passenger collapses have already broken out this year.
They include a “drunk and abusive” man who was detained by four travelers aboard an eight-hour flight to JFK.
A group of Britons were seen on camera intervening to help airline staff calm the man down as they struggled to restrain him during the JetBlue flight from London’s Gatwick Airport on January 30.
Someone could be seen holding him in a headlock, but the suspected drunken passenger managed to break free.
JetBlue told MailOnline that the crew discovered an open bottle of liquor that the customer had brought on board.
They confirmed the man was restrained and police dealt with him when they landed in New York.
Meanwhile, another crazed passenger headbutted a flight attendant on board a flight from Dubai last week.
The man was reportedly drunk when he became violent in the business class section of the Emirates plane from the UAE to Islamabad, Pakistan, on February 26.
Cabin crew on board flight EK614 tried to restrain the rowdy passenger. But the video shows him headbutting one of the male crew members before being pinned down and restrained.
A flight attendant then ran over with a pair of black emergency cable ties – kept on board for dealing with unruly passengers – to handcuff him.
The man is said to have been held in his seat until the Boeing 777 landed around 1:20 a.m. local time. Pakistani airport police then boarded the plane to arrest him.
Fellow passengers said they were ‘terrified’ by the disaster and avoided walking past the airman for fear he might attack them.
One said: ‘The drunk man was extremely violent. He was restrained and handcuffed by Emirates cabin crew, but I think the Pakistani authorities let him go because he was well connected.”
Alcohol is banned in Pakistan for Muslim residents, leading to high levels of binge drinking when they visit more liberal neighboring countries.