Flight Carrying Four Arizona Congressmen Diverted to Kansas โขCity โDue to Disruptiveโ Passenger
KANSAS CITY, MOโ – โAmerican Airlines Flight 1218 from Phoenix to Washington, D.C., was diverted to Kansas City International Airport (KCI) Tuesday evening after a passengerโค became disruptive, prompting law enforcementโ intervention.โ The flight, carrying four members of โคCongress – Reps. โgreg Stanton, Eli Crane, Andyโค Biggs, andโ Paul Gosar, all โof Arizona – landed safely atโข KCI around 6:15 p.m. Central Time.
The diversion causedโฃ aโข roughly three-hour delay forโฃ the lawmakers and other passengers. โฃWhile the incident is resolved, it highlights the โincreasing โchallenges airlines โface with passenger conductโ and the protocols inโฃ place to addressโค such situations. The flightโค resumed its journey, arrivingโค at Reagan National Airport at 9:01 p.m.โ CT.
According to flight records, the flight โฃdeparted Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport at 3:34 p.m. CT. Approximatelyโค two hours and 41 minutes into the flight, pilots made the decision to land at KCI. โ
A statementโค from American Airlines confirmed the diversion, stating, “On Nov. 11, American Airlines flight 1218, with service from โPhoenix (PHX)โ toโฃ Washington, D.C. (DCA) diverted to Kansas City (MCI) due to aโ disruptiveโค customer. โขLaw โenforcement met the flight and removed the customer, and the flight โขlater re-departed for DCA, โฃwhere it โlanded normally. We thank our โคcustomers for โtheir patience and our crew members โคfor their professionalism.”
Kansas โฃCity policeโฃ responded โto the scene and removed the disruptiveโข passenger from the Airbus A320 aircraft.
Anyone with details related to the incident is encouraged to contact the Greater โKansas City Crime Stoppersโ Tips Hotline at 816-474-TIPS (8477) orโค submitโ a tip online at p3tips.com.