Southwest Airlines has apologized to a passenger who was recorded being pulled off of a Los Angeles-bound flight after she told the crew she had a life-threatening pet allergy.
Taken on Tuesday evening, video shared by NBC Los Angeles shows the unidentified woman repeatedly asking Transportation Authority officers, “What are you guys doing?” as they wrap their arms around her and begin to pull her down the aisle.
The airline said that the situation began when the unidentified woman informed the flight crew of her serious pet allergy. The airline noted that one pet and one service animal were also aboard the Los Angeles-bound flight. The woman did not have the proper medical certificate to stay on board, the airline said.
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“Our policy states that a Customer (without a medical certificate) may be denied boarding if they report a life-threatening allergic reaction and cannot travel safely with an animal on board. Our Flight Crew made repeated attempts to explain the situation to the Customer, however, she refused to deplane and law enforcement became involved,” a Southwest Airlines spokesman said in a statement.
The law enforcement officers appeared to board the plane in order to remove the passenger.
In a short first video, two law enforcement officers can be see tugging at the woman as they try to remove her from her seat at the rear of the plane.
As the second video begins, officers are seen moving the woman down the aisle. She can then be heard pleading with them to let her stay.
“My dad has surgery tomorrow. I’m sorry, my dad has a surgery. What are you doing?” she says frantically, as she resists the officers.
“C’mon, lady. Let’s go,” an officer responds.
The cabin is filled with chatter as some passengers suggest the woman make the complaint off of the flight, while others tell her to walk as instructed to ensure her own safety.
The scuffle pauses briefly as the woman accuses the officers of ripping her pants. They tell her to fix her pants and leave the plane.
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When it seems like the woman is hesitating, an officer wraps his arms around the woman’s chest and begins to forcefully drag her down the aisle. She begins shrieking, “Don’t touch me! I’m walking!”
A sense of anxiety can be heard in the voices of those around her. One woman can be heard saying, “Show them that you’re walking.”
An officer yells, “Then walk!”
“I can’t walk. He’s got my leg,” the woman replies.
Tempers seem to boil over as an officer shoves the woman toward the door. She turns and says, “I’m a professor. What are you doing?”
As the police continue to wrestle the woman down the aisle, a man’s voice is heard saying, “Geez, lady. Get off the plane. Make the complaint later.”
NBC News was not immediately able to contact the woman in the video for comment.
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“We are disheartened by the way this situation unfolded and the Customer’s removal by local law enforcement officers,” Southwest Airlines said in the statement. “We publicly offer our apologies to this Customer for her experience and we will be contacting her directly to address her concerns. Southwest Airlines was built on Customer Service, and it is always our goal for all Customers to have a positive experience.”
The Southwest Airlines incident is reminiscent of a similar controversy aboard United Airlines, in which a now-viral video showed Dr. David Dao being bloodied as he was dragged off of a plane.