TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An online video uploaded to social media this week showed a group of Taiwanese flight attendants breaking up a fight among passengers on a long-haul EVA Airlines flight from Taipei to California.
The incident occurred on the May 7 EVA Airlines flight BR08 headed to San Fransisco International Airport. The fight was sparked by a man who was annoyed by the coughing of a passenger next to him and tried to take another passenger's seat, reported UDN.
The passenger sat down several rows away in the empty seat but when the original occupant returned, the two got into an argument, which led to a physical altercation. A flight attendant who was nearby immediately moved in between the two men.
One of the other flight attendants involved said that she saw a passenger yelling and acting aggressively toward her colleague. She approached the man from behind and called for help as she tried to restrain him, per UDN.
In the video, an angry passenger is seen being held from behind by two female flight attendants, while another in front of him tries to defuse the situation, asking him to calm down. However, the man continues to shout and berate the passenger who tried to take his seat.
In response, the passenger who tried to switch seats approaches and attacks, swinging his fist past the flight attendant standing between them. After one landed punch the flight attendant was able to separate the men with the assistance of other passengers.
The men were separated for the remainder of the flight. Both were taken into custody by police in San Francisco upon arrival in the U.S.
EVA Airlines praised the quick, professional response of the three flight attendants. The company emphasized zero tolerance for passengers who misbehave and become a “nuisance” for crew and other passengers, per Aerotime.