Row over reclining seats causes second flight diversion in a week
A row over a passenger’s right to recline their seat has forced a second flight to be diverted in less than a week.
The pilot of an American Airlines flight from Miami to Paris had to land in Boston on Wednesday after an argument broke out between a 61-year-old Frenchman and a passenger in front who was attempting to recline their seat, said the Telegraph.
Earlier in the week a United Airlines flight from Newark to Denver had to be diverted after a man allegedly attached a Knee Defender device to his tray table to prevent the passenger in front from reclining her seat.
According to American news channel ABC, air marshals intervened on the AA flight when the Frenchman, Edmond Alexandre, allegedly grabbed the arm of a flight attendant who was trying to help.
After the plane landed in Boston, he was arrested, said ABC, and taken to hospital with a pre-existing medical condition. He has since been charged with ‘interfering with flight crew’.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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