A recent video of a ground incident at LaGuardia Airport (LGA), in which an unruly passenger is tackled to the ground at the airport by police officers, has been going viral on social media. But as is the case with most viral content on social media, this video has been trending under the title – “Airport Karen”.

While traveling can quite often be stressful, one of the few things history has proven to be certain is the fact that misbehaving at the airport never goes well, and the situation rarely results in a desirable solution. Here is what happened!

Passenger Tackled To The Ground

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A ground incident from earlier in the week went viral after being filmed and uploaded on TikTok and other social media platforms. According to a View From The Wing article, this incident occurred at an American Airlines check-in desk at LaGuardia Airport (LGA) in the US. The video trending as “Airport Karen” saw a female passenger raising her voice at the airport staff and two police officers who were already at the scene surrounding her.

While the video does not give any clue or information as to what led to the situation being escalated, and two members of law enforcement showing up at the check-in desk, the situation quickly deteriorates for the passenger, as she is tackled to the ground by the two officers as she attempts to leave the area. Once the passenger is on the ground, the video shows that two more people arrive, helping the police restrain the passenger, who continues to scream at that point.

One key takeaway from this incident on video is that aviation remains the safest mode of transportation for a reason. While airplanes are more technologically advanced than ever before and the crew members onboard aircraft are constantly kept up to date with recurrent and new relevant training, the safety aspect on the ground is as critical as it is in the air. Therefore, it is worth reiterating that, regardless of the situation, it is important to raise concerns or complaints via proper channels in a civil manner. Going full “Karen” at the airport or on a flight rarely ends well for the passenger involved.

Record Increase In Unruly Passenger Behavior

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Unruly passenger behavior is not limited to the ground, but these tend to happen even at 35,000 feet in the skies. As per a 2025 report by CNBC, data collected by the United States Department of Transportation (US DoT) indicates that there has been a significant increase in unruly outbreaks in recent years, especially on flights. Data shows that the number of passenger incidents recorded in 2024 is two times higher than the number of incidents recorded in 2019. Additionally, data also shows that the number of “in-flight outbursts” has increased by 400%, by 2025.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration, passengers who are disruptive or display violent behavior on board an aircraft can be issued one or more penalties. These include jail time and a felony conviction, financial penalties from the FAA, which can be as high as $43,658 per violation, and travel restrictions, such as being placed on a no-fly list with a particular airline.

Beyond the US, a 2025 study undertaken by IATA recorded the number of incidents involving unruly passengers from more than 50 airline operators around the world. Analyzing over 24,500 incident reports, IATA determined that the statistics showed one incident per 568 flights in 2022, while in 2023, there was one incident recorded every 480 flights. This shows an 18.3% increase in unruly passenger incidents globally, which is rather significant.

Related

2024 Saw A Rise In Unruly Passenger Incidents

Last year, airlines were forced to contend with more unruly passengers.

A Record Fine Of $80,000 Issued In 2024

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Back to unruly passenger-related incidents in the US, back in 2024, the FAA issued a record fine of $81,950 for an incident that occurred in 2021. The incident took place on board an American Airlines flight from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT), when a passenger became inebriated in flight and began acting dangerously.

The passenger reportedly assaulted other passengers on board and even attempted to open one of the exits of the aircraft in flight, which resulted in the crew and passengers having to restrain the drunk passenger with duct tape, cuffs, and a gag. While the aircraft continued its journey and landed in CLT safely, the passenger was so aggressive that they had to be sedated before being removed from the aircraft.

The record fine of $81,950 issued for this incident was split into three offenses.

It is reported that because the passenger failed to pay the fine, the FAA had taken legal action against the passenger with a lawsuit.