JetBlue Flight Changes Course After Man Refuses To Wear a Mask

A JetBlue flight from New York to Cancun was forced to divert to Fort Lauderdale after a passenger refused to wear a mask and became aggressive toward crewmembers late last month, according to The Miami Herald.

Another passenger on the flight, Lawrence Redick IV captured the disturbance on video and posted it on TikTok. In the video, passengers can be heard booing the man—who was subsequently banned from flying with the airline—and telling him to get off of the plane.

One man can be heard screaming “I hope you get eaten by an alligator!”

JetBlue confirmed the incident in a statement to the Herald: “On February 27, JetBlue flight 751 with scheduled service from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to Cancun, Mexico, was forced to divert to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, when a customer became aggressive and threatening toward our crewmembers and other customers after being asked multiple times to comply with JetBlue’s face mask policy and the federal mask mandate,” the airline said. “The customer was eventually escorted off by law enforcement in Fort Lauderdale. The flight continued to Cancun without further incident. The safety of our customers and crewmembers is our first priority at JetBlue, and the customer in question is not welcome to fly JetBlue in the future.”

According to Redick, the flight was delayed in South Florida for about 90 minutes due to the incident.

Currently, JetBlue requires face coverings inside all airport terminals and for the duration of the flight for passengers age two and older. What’s more, this and other airline policies are being reinforced by a new federal mask mandate that could result in stiff penalties for violators.