Flight Canceled After Group of Teens Refuses To Wear Masks

An American Airlines flight from Charlotte, North Carolina to Nassau, Bahamas was canceled Monday after a group of more than 30 people became disruptive and refused to wear face masks.

According to WSOC-TV, a group of Boston-area high school students ages 17 and 18 was noncompliant with the federal mask mandate, further delaying the international flight that had already been pushed back due to a mechanical issue earlier in the day.

“It was bad. First, they were yelling. They were cursing. They were being very obnoxious,” passenger Malik Banks told the news station. “It wasn’t all of them. I would say 75 percent to 80 percent of them were being terrible kids, saying smart stuff.”

“Prior to departure on July 5, passengers traveling on American Airlines Flight 893 from Charlotte (CLT) to Nassau, Bahamas (NAS) were reported to be noncompliant with the federal mask mandate, became disruptive to other customers and refused to follow crew member instructions while onboard,” American Airlines said in a statement. “Per procedure, the customers involved were asked to exit the aircraft. We expect our customers to comply with our policies when they choose to fly with us, and we take action when that is not the case.”

No arrests were made but the flight was delayed overnight, eventually departing shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday, nearly 24 hours behind schedule. American provided affected passengers with hotel vouchers. However, WSOC-TV reported that the rowdy students were too young to get a room and had to spend the night at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Despite airlines having required face-coverings for more than a year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many passengers have refused to comply, often leading to flight delays, fights, arrests and lifetime bans from airlines. The rise in incidents have even prompted airline officials to push for stronger penalties against unruly passengers.