Flight Attendant Rant Sends American Airlines Flight Back to Gate - East Idaho News
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Flight Attendant Rant Sends American Airlines Flight Back to Gate

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030912 AmericanAirlinesAftermath?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1331325157425Nick Rallo/Dallas Observer(DALLAS) — An American Airlines flight headed from Dallas-Fort Worth to Chicago returned to the gate just prior to take off Friday morning when a female flight attendant began making inflammatory remarks over the public address system.

A source tells ABC News the flight attendant’s remarks included talk of the plane crashing and may have touched on 9/11 and American Airline’s union issues.

Officials at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport say two females were transported to local hospitals after the incident, one to Parkland Health and Hospital System, and one to Baylor Grapevine.

American Airlines’ parent company, AMR Corp., filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Nov. 29, 2011. Bloomberg reports that union groups, including flight attendants, on Thursday, asked mediators to join talks with management as the carrier seeks $1.25 billion in labor concessions, including 13,000 job cuts.

Passengers intervened and restrained the flight attendant before Dallas airport police boarded the flight. The Dallas Morning News reports passengers said police escorted the flight attendant, kicking and screaming, to one of several police cars that surrounded the plane on the tarmac. The airline is treating the incident as a medical issue.

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American Airlines said in a statement:

“This morning Flight 2332 had left the gate at DFW bound for Chicago, when an incident occurred involving some of the cabin crew. The aircraft returned to the gate, where it was met by Department of Public Safety officers. Two flight attendants were taken to local hospitals for treatment. We continue to investigate the details and circumstances and will have no further comment at this time.

We will ensure that the affected flight attendants receive proper care, and we commend our other crew members for their assistance in quickly getting the aircraft back to the gate so that customers could be re-accommodated. Our customers were not in danger at any time.

The cabin crew was replaced. The flight departed for Chicago at 9:46 a.m., and is scheduled to land around noon. We apologize for any inconvenience to our customers and we appreciate their patience and understanding.”

Officials at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport tell ABC News they are not pursuing any charges at this time.

The Association of Professional Flight Attendants has also issued a statement:

“There was an unfortunate but non-violent confrontation involving a flight attendant aboard an aircraft preparing for takeoff this morning at DFW.

Passenger accounts have been reported in the media, but details remain sketchy.

The incident is being investigated by the proper authorities with the full cooperation of APFA. APFA representatives have been in contact with the crew, the company, and the authorities and are providing assistance as needed. No one was seriously injured and the flight to ORD did eventually take off with a different flight attendant crew.”

Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio

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