Verbal Exchange Diverts American Airlines Flight: Business Class Passenger Offloaded Mid-Air
A recent incident on an American Airlines flight from New York’s JFK Airport to Guyana’s Cheddi Jagan International Airport (GEO) took an unexpected turn when a heated exchange between a flight attendant and a business class passenger forced the plane to turn back to its origin.
On July 18, 2023, Flight AA 2557 departed on schedule but encountered trouble just 45 minutes into the journey. The pilot made the decision to return the aircraft to JFK Airport in order to offload a passenger.
The “disruptive customer” in question is Joel Ghansham, a well-known TV personality and cultural activist from India. Ghansham later provided his side of the story in a detailed interview on YouTube. According to him, he had recently undergone neck and eye surgeries, and while boarding the Boeing 737 MAX, he requested assistance from a flight attendant to stow his bag in the overhead bin.
However, the flight attendant allegedly responded in a dismissive manner, stating that she did not get paid enough for such tasks and implying that he could take another flight if dissatisfied. Another flight attendant in the business class section eventually came to Ghansham’s aid and helped him with his bags.
Tensions between Ghansham and the original flight attendant escalated during meal service. Allegedly, she took his drink order in a rude manner, leaning from the row behind him. In response, Ghansham referred to her as “waiter” while declining the offer politely.
Things took a dramatic turn when the flight attendant claimed to have the power to turn the plane around. Ghansham sarcastically replied that she must be God to possess such authority. Shortly thereafter, the pilot announced the decision to return to JFK Airport.
As a result of the altercation, Ghansham was offloaded from the flight, causing a disruption to the scheduled journey. American Airlines stated that the flight returned due to a “disruptive customer,” while Ghansham provided his version of events, shedding light on the verbal exchange that led to the unfortunate incident.