Woman arrested for mid-air assault on fellow passenger that is captured on viral video

In a shocking incident that unfolded mid-air, a 32-year-old New York woman was arrested and charged with aggravated assault after she attacked a fellow passenger.

The incident took place on a Southwest Airlines flight on Monday, June 17.

The flight, which took off from LaGuardia Airport in New York and was en route to Kansas City, Missouri, turned chaotic as the confrontation spiralled out of control, ultimately leading to her apprehension.

Footage of the incident, which has since gone viral on TikTok, captures the woman unleashing a tirade of obscenities at another female passenger.

Reports indicate that the altercation began after she refused to sit next to the woman, whom she reportedly described as “fat".

The video shows her yelling provocatively, “Shut the f**ck up!” before violently pulling the passenger's hair, while onlookers attempted to intervene.

As the chaos unfolded, the unruly passenger escalated her aggression by attempting to grab items from the other woman's bag and showered her with body-shaming slurs.

Remarkably, in one bizarre moment, she yelled, “My boyfriend is a f**king black guy,” as she was being apprehended which left many surrounding passengers bewildered.

The aggressive behaviour also included spitting at her victim, further adding to the alarming nature of the episode.

Flight attendants issued multiple warnings in an attempt to control the situation, but their efforts were largely ignored.

The woman eventually had to be physically restrained, being pinned to the floor as she kicked and screamed, continuing her assault on both the fellow traveller and the cabin crew.

Video clips circulating across social media highlight not only the turbulence of the moment but also the significant distress it caused among other passengers aboard the flight.

The incident speaks to growing concerns over passenger behaviour in the era of post-pandemic air travel, with airlines increasingly urging stricter enforcement of conduct policies to ensure the safety of all travellers.