Airline pilot comes to blow with flight attendant over masks, report says

‘The event involved a disagreement over mask wearing or masks,’ says the San Jose Police Department

A Southwest Airlines pilot has been accused of assaulting a flight attendant in a mask-related argument that got out of control, police say.

The fight, which allegedly broke out last month at a hotel bar in San Jose, California, is being investigated by the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office. Details are sparse, but police say it all started with a quarrel over masks.

“The event involved a disagreement over mask wearing or masks,” Sgt Christian Camarillo of the San Jose Police Department told USA Today.

The pilot has not been indicted, but the district attorney could bring charges, Mr Camarillo said. Meanwhile, the pilot has been put on leave until the investigation is finished.

Brandy King, a spokesperson for Southwest Airlines, confirmed to USA Today that there had been a “crew disagreement during an overnight trip”, but provided no other details.

The flight attendant’s union, TWU Local 556, pledged its support for the alleged victim.

​​“We are aware of this matter and the fact that the investigation continues,” the union said in a statement. “As with all flight attendants we represent, we will support our member in accordance with the law and our collective bargaining agreement.”

Since the Covid-19 pandemic began, mask requirements have become a huge source of disruptive behavior on airlines. Over the past year, there have been 5,033 unruly passenger reports, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Of those, 3,642 were mask-related.

The problem has become so severe that Congress has gotten involved. In September, senators Dick Durbin and Maria Cantwell wrote a letter to US Attorney General Merrick Garland, imploring him to help prosecute on-board assaults.

“In recent months, incidents involving unruly airline passengers have increased dramatically,” the senators wrote. “These incidents put passengers and crew members in danger.”

However, the party accused of violence is usually a passenger, not an airline employee. A few days after the incident, Southwest Airlines sent a lengthy email to its staff, urging them to be civil to one another.

“Crossing the line in a heated conversation can be a violation of our guidelines for employees and can even end in loss of job,” the company warned. “It is vital that we treat everyone with respect and honor our differences without pushing our ideals on someone else.”