Woman dragged off Southwest jet

AP Airlines Writer

Police officers physically removed a woman from a Southwest Airlines plane before it took off from Baltimore, the latest passenger scuffle to be captured on video and magnified on social media.

After saying she was severely allergic to animals — there were two dogs on board — the woman refused the crew’s request to leave the plane. The crew then called on police to intervene.

A film producer recorded the ensuing struggle between the woman and officers and posted it online. The scene from Tuesday night was reminiscent of an April incident at O’Hare Airport in which security officers yanked Dr. David Dao out of his seat and dragged him off a United Express flight.

Southwest, perhaps learning from United’s initial hesitant reaction, immediately apologized. “We are disheartened by the way this situation unfolded and the customer’s removal by local law enforcement officers,” Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz said Wednesday.

Mainz said the woman had reported she had a lifethreatening pet allergy but couldn’t show a medical certificate that she needed to continue on the flight to Los Angeles.

The incident began quietly near the back of the plane, passengers said, as Southwest employees — including one of the pilots — talked to the woman. Mainz said the airline offered to rebook her on a flight the next day, but she declined.

Airline employees ended up calling police, and the officers asked her to leave. One officer pushed her from behind while another pulled her from in front, the video showed.

The airline declined to give the passenger’s name. She could be heard identifying herself as a professor. She told officers she needed to get to Los Angeles because her father was having surgery.