A JetBlue flight to Cancun diverted to Ft. Lauderdale after a passenger onboard refused to wear a mask. Passengers heckled him as he was led off the aircraft in Florida by law enforcement personnel.
JetBlue Passenger Forces Diversion After Refusing To Wear Mask
The incident occurred on February 27th onboard a JetBlue flight from New York (JFK) to Cancun (CUN). A man boarded the flight wearing the mask, but took it off once the flight took off and refused repeated requests from flight attendants and other passengers to put it back on.
One passenger shared his account of the incident:
“Me and my family were on our way to Cancun and the passenger initially wore a mask to get on the flight but during the flight, he kept taking it off.
“The flight attendants and the pilot made two announcements about the passenger saying that if he didn’t keep his mask on then they would have to make an emergency landing and get him off.
“Sure enough, he didn’t keep the mask on and so we had to land early and then he put his mask on to leave.
“We were on the plane for roughly three hours before we landed early and then we had to stay on the plane in Florida for about an hour to an hour-and-a-half because of this.”
While making the walk of shame, one passenger called out, “I hope you get eaten by an alligator!” prompting the entire plane to burst out laughing.
Here’s video from the incident:
A JetBlue spokesperson noted:
On February 27, JetBlue flight 751 with scheduled service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Cancun, Mexico, was forced to divert to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when a customer became aggressive and threatening toward our crewmembers and other customers after being asked multiple times to comply with JetBlue’s face mask policy and the federal mask mandate.
The customer was eventually escorted off by law enforcement in Fort Lauderdale. The flight continued to Cancun without further incident.
CONCLUSION
Simple solution: fine the man $20K+ for the diversion, as the Federal Aviation Administration has warned. Every incident of selfish behavior like this should serve as a warning for any would-be copycats that it is simply not worthwhile.
image: JetBlue Mask Diversion / TikTok
Thank god they were able to divert the plane in Florida. Imagine how many more lives could have been lost if this maskless man continued his reckless behavior another hour in the air to Cancun.
This is actually a very good point, though I assume they diverted to Florida so they could deal with US law enforcement instead of Mexican law enforcement.
I’m about done with these people who agree to follow the rules until they’re actually on the flight. Likewise I think that taking a break from regaling us with these tales might be the way to go for a while unless there’s a compelling point of interest like threatening people with alligators.
This isn’t the point of the article, but seeing everyone with their phones subtlety recording this is just so dystopian… what even is privacy anymore.
All fun and games for these flight attendants and airlines until their employees get killed trying to infringe on someone’s ability to breathe normally. I guess when more loss of life happens, people will realize.
I was on Jet Blue flight out of Boston last week flight attendant spoke to about wear his mask he put it on then took it off rest of flight she never checked on him rest of flight he sat right behind me me. I was so mad .. if said something they probably would of put me on a no fly list. Shame on JetBlue
If one can’t breathe normally, he/she shouldn’t get on a plane. Simple as that.
If you can’t breathe normally through a N95 or surgical mask then you desperately need to see a pulmonologist.
Surgeons, anesthesiologists and nurses do it every day, day in, day out over their entire careers.
Over a half million dead Americans and you still spout nonsense.
Another day, another diversion, Sudan to Qatar:
https://globalnews.ca/news/7679152/cat-stowaway-flight-plane/
What happened to him? Was he simply escorted off the plane, and released? Or was he detained and or arrested by LEO’s? What is the likelyhood FAA will or will not take action? Will B6 bann the pax? How did he get out of FLL to go back to JFK or on to CUN? Or is he living under a bridge in FLL?
If they started throwing people in jail for 6 months per incident, it might stop!
Alaskan Airlines flight last week from Seattle to Boston, Besides overbooking, crowded gates, zero service on the flight multiple people took masks off after the flight was airborne and Flight Attendants did nothing at all – I will say my experience on Alaskan Air has me never wanting to fly them again – Hell Spirit was better
This is ridiculous if you can eat and drink next to someone, why would you bother a man who is sleeping? His mask was on, it fell below his nose and the flight attendant shook him awake to pull it up. He wasn’t bothering anyone he was minding his own business sitting there sleeping and they kept waking him up when the mask was falling below his nose. It makes no sense at all. If you’re going to bother someone for sleeping and his mask fallen below his nose then you shouldn’t have anyone eat or drink or speak to one another while eating ridiculous stupid and it’s all nonsense.
I guess the guy wanted to F*ck around and find out. Anti-maskers are tough as nails when they are confronting flight attendants and that toughness lasts up until the moment that law enforcement shows up or the captain of the plane decides to exercise his authority to put them off the plane.
Why do the trumpers gravitate towards these message boards? You usually only see those low class fools on Frontier airlines or the local trailer park. Just looking for anywhere to spew their nonsense.
Hope he enjoys the drive back to New York from Florida! Hope they never allow him on a Jet Blue flight again.
People need to realize they are being brainwashed by the media. The low class fool who brought in politics to the conversation is an ignorant person . The air on a plane is filtered . The air quality on planes may not be as pure as getting out to nature, but it’s better than the air you breathe in cafés, restaurants, or supermarkets. This is because of the efficient air circulation systems and HEPA filters that are found on most modern commercial flights. Get the facts !!! Jet blue is throwing 2 year olds off for not wearing a mask. Disgraceful!! That man was sleeping and minding his business His mask was on it fell below his nose . Jet blue should ban people from videoing or heckling another human being!!! Disgusting
You can breath normally with a mask on. You also can maybe not kill me. But hey, your alleged freedom is certainly more important than my life.
How about not divert to remove the miserable passenger, just lower to 8000 feet to minimize de pressurizing issues, and show him the door !…. Fixes the problem, it will not reoccur, no need for law enforcement involvement, minimal inconvenience to other folks, or adding to the no fly list !