Christopher Crittenden was at Washington Dulles Airport on Thursday when he learned that his United Airlines flight had been canceled. His reaction to the news had serious consequences.
Crittenden became particularly angry after discovering that he could not be rebooked on another flight because all flights were fully booked. What the 54-year-old did next was caught on camera by a bystander. In the short video, he is seen approaching a United employee at the gate of the full flight and punching him in the face. The victim then falls to the ground.
The aggressive passenger was arrested by police and is now facing charges of assault and disorderly conduct. The attacked United employee was taken to a hospital after the incident.
In a statement, United Airlines announced that Crittenden has been banned from all future flights with the airline. Following the incident, a U.S. aviation workers’ union emphasized the importance of safety for airline staff, stating: “Our members deserve a workplace where they can focus on delivering excellent customer service, not one where they fear being attacked by passengers.”
A Man has been banned from flying United after he knocked out a passenger service agent at Dulles International Airport Thursday night.
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) March 16, 2025
The gate agent was transferred to a local hospital by the Airports Authority's fire and rescue department.
United Airlines passenger… pic.twitter.com/oJzouv2sLP
Aggression on flights
Last month, a Pegasus Airlines flight was forced to divert due to a fight between four passengers. A discussion about the war in Ukraine quickly escalated into a physical altercation. Flight PC230 from Antalya to Astana was already flying over Azerbaijan when the pilots decided to return to Turkey.
All four passengers now face heavy fines for causing the diversion. The flight resumed its journey about two hours after the disruptive passengers were removed.