Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/WASHINGTON DC: American Airlines flight 3444 was diverted to Raleigh-Durham International Airport on Wednesday due to a disruptive passenger, according to the
North Carolina airport.
According to the airport, at 3:41 p.m., flight AA 3444 from Jacksonville to Washington, DC, was diverted to RDU due to a disruptive passenger. After landing, the plane was directed to gate C9, where law enforcement boarded the plane and arrested the suspect.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Embraer E170 was scheduled to fly from Jacksonville International Airport in Florida to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The flight was rerouted “due to a security worries involving an unruly customer,” the airline said. The female passenger was having a panic attack.
American plane was clear to continue its flight
According to the airport, the plane was cleared to continue its flight to Washington, DC, and RDU has resumed normal operations. The FBI’s Charlotte office is investigating and “will consult with the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina to determine whether federal charges will be filed.”
On Wednesday, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg posted on Twitter that he had been briefed on a “Level 4 disruption” on an American Airlines flight. A Level 4 disruption is defined as an “attempted or actual breach of the flight deck” by the Federal Aviation Administration.
The FAA, which is investigating the incident, stated in a tweet that they are working on a rule that would mandate a second barrier to the flight deck on new planes. According to the FAA statement, we made progress last year in requiring new planes to have a second barrier to the flight deck after the rule was stalled under the previous administration.
According to FAA statistics, there were over 2,300 reports of unruly passenger behaviour last year. Eighty of those cases were referred to the FBI for criminal investigation.
