People are flocking to social media to troll yet another airline — this time, Spirit Airlines is taking a hit for a brawl that erupted at the Fort Lauderdale airport after the airline canceled nine flights, leaving customers stranded and irate.
“Looks like Spirit Airlines decided to shake things up and let the passengers do the beating this time,” one user tweeted.
“Here at broken spirit airlines the only thing flying today will be fists,” tweeted another.
Footage of the incident from Monday night shows crowds gathered around Spirit Airlines ticket counters, with people cursing and pushing. Things turn violent when a Broward County Sheriff deputy is seen being shoved to the ground. Fox affiliate WSVN reported that sheriff’s deputies detained several passengers and charged them with disorderly conduct.
Around 300 Spirit Airlines flights have been cancelled in the last week, according to CNN. The cancellations are reportedly the result of a legal dispute between the budget airline and the Air Line Pilots Association International (ALPA).
Spirit canceled 81 flights on Sunday alone, according to CNN, as a result of the legal dispute. It’s estimated that about 20,000 customers have been affected since the cancellations began last week.
This incident comes at a time of intense scrutiny of airlines after a passenger was forcibly removed from a United flight last month. The removal resulted in a serious concussion, a broken nose and two lost teeth.
A Delta passenger was removed from a plane when he took an emergency bathroom break while the plane awaited takeoff on the tarmac. United suffered another controversy when a giant rabbit being transported on one of its planes died in the cargo hold while traveling on a flight from London’s Heathrow airport to Chicago’s O’Hare.
See some reaction tweets below.
Looks like Spirit Airlines decided to shake things up and let the passengers do the beating this time pic.twitter.com/YG6LOAwt9X
— ???????? ???? (@TheNicholasWolf) May 9, 2017
I feel like @SpiritAirlines is actually a social experiment to see how much bs one individual can take before losing it
— mw ✨ (@tribeclldstress) May 9, 2017
Here at broken spirit airlines the only thing flying today will be fists
— Bill Queen (@BillQueenComic) May 9, 2017
"Can't make the news for dragging passengers off flights if you cancel them all" – Spirit Airlines pic.twitter.com/UwihdnMNHY
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/MatthewKick/status/861914337958670336
Is this the attitude needed to fly on airlines today ??? Spirit Airlines pic.twitter.com/5vLseQ5lsm
— LOW 9z (@LOWNINEZ) May 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/OmegaManX2/status/861965193223516164
After now hearing about Spirit Airlines pic.twitter.com/R2UYdwYpRQ
— Only Advice Animals (@animals_advice) May 9, 2017
United: We are just the worst.
Spirit Airlines: Challenge accepted.
— In Related News (@InRelatedNews1) May 9, 2017
Spirit Airlines… pic.twitter.com/Ns2LrEECUs
— Jawn Cena (@27inchZenith) May 9, 2017
https://twitter.com/DavinDuhamel/status/861970149104009216
Between United, Delta, and Spirit Airlines, air travel is turning into the Hunger Games. pic.twitter.com/4DPRIQJwj4
— KB (@thatkblife) May 9, 2017
"Now boarding all Spirit Airlines passengers in Zone 1" pic.twitter.com/vtCsFvev6j
— Denlesks (@Denlesks) May 9, 2017
