SkyWest flight delayed over 2 hours as attendants argue and refuse to serve passengers

A SkyWest flight from Los Angeles to Houston last weekend was delayed over 2 hours after a pair of flight attendants got into an argument and refused to serve passengers.

The flight could not depart after two attendants disagreed over a passenger’s request to change seats. The argument escalated and the two stopped working, making it impossible for the aircraft to take off, ending in both attendants walking off the plane. A video taken by ESPN anchor Ashley Brewer, who was a passenger on the flight, Tweeted about the delay and took a video of the altercation that was posted to TikTok and garnered 70,000 views. 

SkyWest issued a statement regarding the incident this week after being contacted by several news organizations. “SkyWest is aware of reports regarding a flight attendant issue that caused flight 4860, operating as American Eagle from Los Angeles to Houston, to be delayed on Saturday,” the statement said. “We regret the delay this caused for our passengers and apologize for any inconvenience.”

The incident is one of many on board flights across the country in recent months since the airways reopened after being severely restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unruly passengers, near-collisions on airport runways, staffing shortages and other issues have led to a rise in dangerous airline events. The National Transportation Safety Board is currently investigating multiple incidents as experts weigh what steps to take in order to increase airline safety.

SkyWest is conducting its own investigation into this particular incident.