BALTIMORE, MD – A confrontation at the Spirit Airlines ticket counter at Baltimore Washington International Airport escalated into a violent altercation involving five men, resulting in one person sustaining minor injuries, authorities confirmed Friday.
The incident, captured on a bystander’s cellphone video, unfolded around 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday. The footage shows a man in shorts and a hooded sweatshirt approaching several ticket agents dressed in dark-colored Spirit Airlines uniforms with his fists raised, seemingly ready for a fight.
As the man challenges the agents, a fifth individual in a white button-down shirt enters the frame and delivers a powerful punch, causing the man to lose his balance. The group then surrounds the man, eventually wrestling him to the ground and entangling him in the airline’s rope barriers. The agents continue to strike him with their fists and feet while the person recording the video can be heard laughing.
Spirit Airlines clarified that the ticket agents involved in the altercation are employed by a vendor and not directly by the airline. The vendor has suspended the four employees pending the outcome of an investigation.
The Maryland Transportation Authority (MDTA) Police confirmed the incident, stating that officers responded to reports of a fight at the Spirit Airlines ticket counters. They identified five individuals involved and noted that one person sustained minor injuries. All parties were provided with information on victims’ rights and services, including how to file criminal charges.
A Spirit Airlines spokesperson reiterated the company’s stance against violence, emphasizing that they are cooperating with the vendor’s investigation and will take appropriate action based on its findings.
This incident is not an isolated one for Spirit Airlines, which has seen its share of violent encounters. In April, a Spirit Airlines employee was caught on video shouting obscenities at a passenger during a dispute at a Florida airport. Earlier this month, a flight attendant on a Boston-bound flight narrowly avoided injury while attempting to break up a fistfight between two passengers.