A Frontier Airlines passenger was arrested by police officers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) after she refused to comply with emergency exit row seat instructions.
The incident was caught on video by a travel vlogger, who happened to be one of the passengers on board, and posted to TikTok.
The footage shows the passenger and a flight attendant in the middle of a back-and-forth altercation. The passenger can be heard asking the flight attendant what the problem is, stressing that she understands “we gotta help people get off the plane” due to her being seated in the emergency exit row.
The passenger can then be seen telling the flight attendant that she was “wasting her breath” as the crew member walked away.
A subsequent clip shows the passenger being asked to leave the aircraft. At this point the passenger can be seen voicing her frustration, stating that she did not understand why she was being made to leave as she had already agreed with emergency exit row protocols.
The flight’s captain then spoke via the PA system requesting the passenger cooperate and leave the aircraft, stating that law enforcement would be boarding the plane.
The passenger was approached by airport crew and the flight’s pilot in a bid to escort her off the flight. However, the passenger refused, reiterating that she had already agreed to the protocols, and asked for “witnesses” and assistance from fellow passengers.
Other people on board the plane also started to ask the passenger to just cooperate and get on another flight.
The passenger was eventually put in handcuffs and escorted off the plane by two police officers. All passengers were forced to deplane.
The passenger who took the video, who goes by the name ‘Travel with Tia’, eventually posted a follow up explaining what happened. She stated that the passenger was removed from the flight due to her “attitude” and claimed the passenger jokingly said she would save herself if something happened.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires passengers seated on emergency exit rows on flights to be willing and able to assist others in the event of an evacuation. Flight attendants ask passengers seated on exit row seats to give a verbal “yes” to understand that they agree with the protocol.