An American traveler was deported from Colombia after assaulting gate agents, and trying to board an already closed aircraft at Bogota’s El Dorado International Airport.
On August 23, a passenger traveling from Bogota (BOG) to Cartagena (CTG) on LATAM Airlines flight 4090 arrived at the gate late and was told that he missed boarding. The man then allegedly assaulted the gate agents and made his way down the jet bridge.
In a now viral video, the man was seen kicking and punching the door of the already closed aircraft, and was heard shouting “I want to get in!” and “let me in!” After pacing back and forth, he then looked through one of the passenger windows, continuing to slap and kick the aircraft, shouting in hopes of them opening the door to let him on board.
According to local media, security officials were on location within three minutes of the incident, subduing the crazed passenger before escorting him back to the waiting area.
In a statement to the media, president of the Colombian Air Workers Association, Daniel Gallo said:
“This disruptive passenger initially assaulted ground staff after being informed that the flight had already closed and he had arrived late.
“He forcibly attempted to enter the boarding bridge and, failing to do so, punched the main door and windows of the aircraft.”
Credit: RedMasNoticias/TwitterAfter being detained, the abusive passenger was deported to the United States the same afternoon. The flight ended up leaving almost 40 minutes after its intended departure time.
What is most interesting about this incident is that he was still able to make his way down the jet bridge well after the gate was closed to boarding. Given that the doors were already locked and armed, the doors to the bridge in the waiting area should have also been locked to prevent this very situation from happening.
Featured image: RedMasNoticias/Twitter
