AA flight from Charlotte diverted to New Mexico after passenger threatens crew

CHARLOTTE — An American Airlines flight from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to Los Angeles International Airport was forced to land in New Mexico Monday night after a passenger threatened a crew member.

An American Airlines spokesperson said the flight landed in Albuquerque, New Mexico at 10:25 p.m. Monday.

Officials said the flight had to land after a “passenger disturbance, during which a threatening statement was made toward a crew member.”

The plane was met by local law enforcement after landing in Albuquerque. Passengers evacuated the plane and the flight later left at 11:49 p.m. and landed in Los Angeles at 12:26 a.m., according to flight tracking site FlightAware.

“We thank our crew for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for any inconvenience this caused to their travel plans,” an American Airlines spokesperson said.

The Charlotte Observer pointed out that incidents with passengers spiked dramatically last year, with 1,099 investigations initiated by the Federal Aviation Administration, compared to 183 in 2020.

So far in 2022, the FAA has initiated 73 investigations into passenger incidents on planes.

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