Passenger Vandalizes Airport With Hammer After Reservation Snafu
An irate traveler was caught in a wild video destroying an American Airlines kiosk after he reported confusion over the authenticity of his reservation, Chilean outlet Cooperativa and The New York Post reported.
The incident occurred on Monday night at Santiago’s Nuevo Pudahuel Airport after the man, who appears to be a construction worker, tried to check in for his flight to Miami, FL. The footage begins after a conversation in which an airline employee reportedly informed the suspect that his ticket was not valid and he couldn’t board the flight.
The irate passenger then produced a hammer from his work bag and jumped onto the counter, unleashing a volley of punches on the wall-mounted televisions above him. After destroying the TVs, the man jumps down from the counter and turns his rage to the computer monitors on the counter behind him.
Pasajero de #AmericanAirlines se niega pagar exceso de equipaje y reacciona de esta forma. Está pasando actualmente ahora en el Aeropuerto Nuevo Pudahuel de Santiago pic.twitter.com/ouh2ui33Nh
— ???????????????????????????? (@nachoconca) August 27, 2024
Hombre destruye stand de aerolínea en el aeropuerto de Santiago de Chile? Que paso??? pic.twitter.com/OkwVr1ztaD
— JOSE MANUEL BRITO (@Jmbs90) August 28, 2024
In an interview with police, the passenger revealed the reason for his furious outburst. Apparently he had purchased a ticket through an unspecified online platform, and the reservation failed to populate in American’s system. Therefore, the seat had not technically been sold to the suspect.
In a statement to NYP, American Airlines confirmed that Nuevo Pudahuel staff dealt with a “disruptive individual” in the check-in area. “We thank our team for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience,” a spokesperson said.
All told, the man caused about $20,000 in damages, according to airport officials. The suspect was detained by airport security officers who then turned him over to the local police, known as Carabineros. He was seen by a judge on Wednesday, who prohibited the suspect from entering or approaching the area around the airport.
[AHORA] Pasajero extranjero, frustrado por no poder abordar su vuelo, destrozó a martillazos ???????????? las pantallas de acceso a vuelos internacionales. ¡Insólito, viva Chile ! #Aeropuerto #Santiago #Chile pic.twitter.com/BIrZtscqqz
— Juan Pablo García Plaza (@jotapegarcia) August 27, 2024