Passengers attack two Spirit gate agents over carry-on bags in Michigan, airline says

A dispute over carry-on bags in Michigan landed a Spirit Airlines gate agent in a hospital Sunday, the airline says.

Flight 646 from Detroit Metropolitan Airport to Atlanta was boarding when two gate agents asked passengers to verify their bags were the appropriate size to be carried on, the airline said, according to WDIV.

The passengers then became combative, the outlet reported. The airline said the gate agents tried to deescalate the situation but were “physically assaulted” as they attempted to close a door to prevent the passengers from making their way to the plane.

“This was not a fight,” a statement from the airline said, according to WJBK. “Describing it as a fight is untrue to our agents. In actuality, three passengers attacked our agents without provocation.”

Video posted to social media shows a passenger pushing one of the gate agents before he falls over backwards. Another passenger then joins the fray, sandwiching the gate agent between them, video shows.

Several more people get involved in the tussle before those involved are separated. Afterward, another disagreement appears to break out at the gate as the video ends.

Kalia Lewis, who filmed the brawl, said she was shocked by how the incident developed.

“I couldn’t believe it had escalated that far,” she told WXYZ. “Them slamming the door and shutting the boarding door and all that I’m like, ‘OK, that’s one thing.’ But then it was just like, a rush in front of you, it just happened.”

Spirit says two employees were injured — one of which was hospitalized — and two people were arrested, WXYZ reported. A third received a citation and was released, per WJBK.

“This violent behavior is completely unacceptable and has absolutely no place in airports or any other place of business,” the airline said, according to WJBK. The passengers are now banned from the airline.

This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 11:25 AM with the headline "Passengers attack two Spirit gate agents over carry-on bags in Michigan, airline says."