JetBlue passengers help restrain unruly flyer on flight to New York

JetBlue passengers helped restrain an unruly fellow flyer this week.

The traveler started behaving “erratically and aggressively” toward his travel companion and crew members during a flight from London to New York on Tuesday, according to the airline.

“The crew also discovered an opened bottle of liquor the customer had brought on board and indications of intoxication,” JetBlue said in an emailed statement. “For everyone’s safety, the customer was restrained with the assistance of other customers who were witnessing this threatening behavior.”

Law enforcement met the plane upon its arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport. “We appreciate our customers’ assistance and understanding during this incident and apologize for the experience,” the airline continued.

Port Authority police did not make an arrest, a spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey told USA TODAY in an email.

The incident comes after a minor league baseball player had to be restrained on a Delta Air Lines flight from Amsterdam to Salt Lake City last month. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on charges including interference with a flight crew after allegedly assaulting a flight attendant and spitting on fellow passengers.

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The Federal Aviation Administration received 2,075 reports of unruly passengers in 2023, down from 2,455 the year before and significantly lower than the 5,973 in 2021, when incidents spiked.

The agency has received 129 reports this year, as of Jan. 28.

Nathan Diller is a consumer travel reporter for USA TODAY based in Nashville. You can reach him at ndiller@usatoday.com.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: JetBlue passengers help restrain unruly flyer