What started as a routine flight quickly took a dramatic turn, leaving passengers and crew shaken.

An unexpected disturbance midway through a journey had everyone questioning how far one passenger's actions could go.

Here's what unfolded when tensions reached a boiling point in the skies.

A flight from New York to Milan was abruptly cut short after a passenger sparked chaos mid-flight, leading to a four-hour detour back to JFK Airport.

The incident occurred on 7 March, with the flight departing from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, heading to Milan, Italy.

Tensions began to rise when an unnamed man reportedly became upset over a meal he had not received and issues with his seating arrangements.

Flight from New York forced to return after mid-air chaos. Image source: Youtube/CBS New York

Passengers said he had requested a specific meal in advance and wanted to sit in the exit row due to travelling with a baby, but when his demands were denied, things escalated quickly.

Krystie Tomlinson, a passenger on the flight, said: ‘The whole thing started because of a meal choice they didn’t get.’

She added that the meal issue, coupled with the seating request, seemed to be what triggered the outburst.

In the midst of the commotion, the man allegedly flung himself at an air hostess and even tried to force his way into the cockpit.

Another passenger, Michael Scigliano, explained that the situation worsened because there was no air marshal on board to help calm the situation.

He said that when the pilot made the decision to turn the plane around, passengers were left to deal with ‘this crazy man’ without any immediate security support.

Confusion also spread among the passengers, as the pilot initially informed them that the flight was returning due to a technical issue, which added to the unease.

Tomlinson recalled that passengers began asking if anyone onboard was an off-duty police officer or military personnel, as there were no air marshals on the flight.

The flight, which had left around 7:00 pm, was forced to turn back, and passengers found themselves back at JFK by 3:00 am.

Despite the inconvenience, Scigliano said American Airlines provided no compensation or assistance upon their return to the airport.

‘I asked to use the American Airlines lounge to breastfeed and change – they said you can go in if you pay $79,’ he added.

The flight was rescheduled for 8 March morning, a full 16 hours later.

Aviation trial attorney Robert Clifford stated that the pilot’s decision to turn the plane around may have been beyond his control, as he would have acted based on what he felt was safest.

The passenger who caused the disturbance was reportedly released without facing any charges.

American Airlines issued a statement acknowledging the situation: ‘American Airlines flight 198 with service from New York (JFK) to Milan (MXP) returned to JFK due to a disruptive passenger.’

‘The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we thank our customers for their understanding.’

Watch the video below for the full report.

Source: Youtube/CBS New York​

Key Takeaways

• A flight from New York to Milan was forced to turn back after a passenger caused a disturbance over meal and seating issues.
• The passenger attempted to enter the cockpit and flung himself at an air hostess during the outburst.
• Passengers were left unsettled as the pilot initially cited a technical issue for the return, and no air marshal was onboard.
• American Airlines rescheduled the flight 16 hours later, offering no compensation or assistance to passengers.

After such a dramatic turn of events, do you think the airline handled the situation appropriately? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.

 

[Macarj]

Did you tell them in advance that you wanted a special meal? If not you have to accept what is available.

Yes he did

 

[Miss Chris]

I have not said anything about justifying this person. My comment was entirely about the food choice we had on Good Friday. Their behaviour was despicable.

The thing though, is that airlines can’t know what religious practices their passengers adhere to and holy days are not so important to airlines and they can’t cater for individuals who don’t request a choice in advance……you can usually do this on the airline website and a vegetarian option is acceptable if you don’t want meat….if you can’t, then take something with you that you can eat……

 

[Miss Chris]

Isn't that always the case?

These days it is more and more about the minority it seems to be…..

 

[DLHM]

Poor baby having a father like that, he's not starving so wait until destination

It’s a long flight from New York to Milan.

 

[DLHM]

The pilot made the right decision. Who wants to be on a fight over the Atlantic Ocean with some out of control lunatic?

American Airlines are pathetic with the lack of customer service and respect for all the “normal” passengers.

 

[novezar]

Talking about, now that religious things have somehow crept into the posting, what I'd like to know, is, how on earth did mohammad climb up that huge square rock now covered by a draped sheet in Mecca to receive his version of the word of god ?
He must've had a pretty long ladder to get up there.
Another thing, what is the sheet hiding ?
There again, he may have sprouted angel wings & flew up.

Veggie will certainly have answers.

 

[Parrot]

How about putting your “ Special “ meal requirements in writing so that if the Airline concerned does not provide your requirements and has accepted it at the time of booking they are at fault.