- A man and woman were arrested at Miami International Airport on Sunday when the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office said they got into an altercation with staff after missing their flight. Officials say one of the suspects threw coffee at an employee.
- A spokesperson for American Airlines said, “Acts of violence are not tolerated.”
- A recent survey found more than 70% of people who work in the airline industry said they have been intimidated, physically hurt or shouted at by customers.
Full Story
Two people running late for their flight at Miami International Airport are facing charges after deputies say they tried to force their way onto a plane and attacked staff, throwing coffee at an employee. On Sunday, March 2, the man and woman, identified as Rafael Seirafe-Novaes and Beatriz Rapoport De Campos Maia were trying to board a plane to Cancun, Mexico, but missed the cutoff time.
The video, posted to social media, showed a large response on the tarmac next to the flight minutes before takeoff.
Point phone camera here
According to the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, one of the suspects threw coffee in the face of an American Airlines employee, during the altercation, before both suspects were arrested.
How did American Airlines respond?
A spokesperson for American Airlines told CBS Miami, “Acts of violence are not tolerated by American Airlines, and we are committed to working closely with law enforcement in their investigation.”
What charges do the suspects face?
Seirafe-Novaes was charged with resisting an officer without violence, and trespassing, while Rapoport De Campos Maia was charged with two counts of battery and trespassing.
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Are violent passengers an issue?
Last month, footage of an altercation from a Frontier Airlines flight from Denver to Houston was posted to social media.
In the clip, the man lashed out at passengers and crew, who had to use shoelaces and zip ties to restrain him.
A recent survey by Aviation Business News and IBS Software found that 72% of those who work in the airline industry said they have been intimidated, physically hurt or shouted at by customers.
[Craig Nigrelli]
TWO PEOPLE RUNNING LATE FOR THEIR FLIGHT AT MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT … ARE FACING CHARGES AFTER DEPUTIES SAY THEY TRIED TO FORCE THEIR WAY ONTO A PLANE AND ATTACKED STAFF – THROWING COFFEE AT AN EMPLOYEE.
IT HAPPENED SUNDAY WHEN THE MAN AND WOMAN – IDENTIFIED AS RAFAEL SEIRAFE-NOVAES AND BEATRIZ RAPOPORT DE CAMPOS MAIA – WERE TRYING TO BOARD A PLANE TO CANCUN, MEXICO, BUT MISSED THE CUTOFF TIME.
VIDEO POSTED TO SOCIAL MEDIA SHOWS A LARGE RESPONSE ON THE TARMAC NEXT TO THE FLIGHT MINUTES BEFORE TAKE OFF.
ACCORDING TO THE MIAMI DADE SHERIFFS OFFICE, ONE OF THE SUSPECTS THREW A COFFEE IN THE FACE OF AN AMERICAN AIRLINES EMPLOYEE, DURING THE ALTERCATION, BEFORE BOTH SUSPECTS WERE ARRESTED.
A SPOKESPERSON FOR AMERICAN AIRLINES TOLD C-B-S MIAMI WITH THIS STATEMENT “ACTS OF VIOLENCE ARE NOT TOLERATED BY AMERICAN AIRLINES AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO WORKING CLOSELY WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THEIR INVESTIGATION.”
SEIRAFE-NOVAES WAS CHARGED WITH RESISTING AN OFFICER WITHOUT VIOLENCE, AND TRESPASSING, WHILE RAPOPORT DE CAMPOS MAIA WAS CHARGED WITH TWO COUNTS OF BATTERY AND TRESPASSING.
LAST MONTH, FOOTAGE OF AN ALTERCATION FROM A FRONTIER FLIGHT FROM DENVER TO HOUSTON WAS POSTED TO SOCIAL MEDIA.
IN THE CLIP, THE MAN LASHED OUT AT PASSENGERS AND CREW – WHO HAD TO USE SHOELACES AND ZIP TIES TO RESTRAIN HIM.
A RECENT SURVEY BY AVIATION BUSINESS NEWS AND I-B-S SOFTWARE FOUND 72 PERCENT OF THOSE WHO WORK IN THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY SAID THEY HAVE BEEN INTIMIDATED, PHYSICALLY HURT OR SHOUTED AT BY CUSTOMERS.
FOR SAN, I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI.
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