After Crew Duct Tapes Frontier Flyer to Seat, Airline Flip-Flops on Support

After public outcry against Frontier Airlines for suspending a group of flight attendants for “not following proper policies for restraining a passenger,” the airline says they are now providing support for their workers. The incident in question involves a 22-year-old flyer from Ohio accused of groping flight attendants before launching an attack, resulting in him getting duct taped to a seat.

A group of Frontier Airlines employees are now “supporting the needs” of a group of flight attendants forced to take drastic measures to restrain a passenger flying to Miami International Airport (MIA) on a July flight. Philadelphia ABC affiliate WPVI-TV reports 22-year-old Maxwell Berry was arrested upon arrival in Miami on accusations of groping flight attendants and ultimately starting a fight mid-flight.

Passenger Accused of Spilling Drink, Grabbing Flight Attendants and Fighting Another

The incident occurred while the flight was traveling from Philadelphia to Miami International Airport. According to witnesses and the police report, Berry allegedly had two alcoholic drinks on the flight and ordered a third, which was spilled on his shirt. The flyer ended up going to the lavatory and returned shirtless, which required the help of the crew to fetch a fresh shirt from his carry-on bag.

From there, the situation began to escalate. The report alleges Berry got up and began walking around the aircraft and groped two female flight attendants. When he was returned to his seat and was watched by a male crewmember, a video shared online shows the flyer yelling obscenities at him before throwing a punch.

Frontier passenger allegedly touched 2 flight attendants breasts, then screamed his parents are worth $2 million, before punching a flight attendant. Frontier suspended the crew for duct taping the passenger to his seat as they landed in Miami. 22 yr old Max Berry is in custody. pic.twitter.com/4xS9Rwvafx

— Sam Sweeney (@SweeneyABC) August 3, 2021

The flight crew worked together to subdue Berry, ultimately duct taping him to a chair. Upon arrival in Miami, he was arrested and booked on battery charges. According to the Miami-Dade County website, he is no longer in custody.

As a result of the incident, Frontier issued a statement confirming the actions, and noting the flight attendants were suspended because “the proper policies for restraining a passenger were not followed.” The Association of Flight Attendants-CWA immediately called on the airline to support their crew, threatening they would fight the decision “with every contractual and legal tool available.”

Thank you, @DanaDelany.
If this is not immediately corrected @FlyFrontier, Flight Attendants may feel unsafe to come to work. Management has a legal duty to maintain a safe work environment for employees. #OurSafetyYourDuty https://t.co/iVsYuv7ixr pic.twitter.com/MR5dKxY5r1

— Sara Nelson (@FlyingWithSara) August 3, 2021

Frontier ultimately released a second statement, noting that while the crew was still on paid leave pending an investigation, they would support the team by providing resources and “working with law enforcement to fully support the prosecution of the passenger involved.”

Within hours of the largest flight attendant union demanding support for the suspended crew, Frontier is out with a new statement. Frontier says their first statement was rushed, but still will not say if the flight attendants were initially suspended for violating policy. pic.twitter.com/uTyvEWczda

— Sam Sweeney (@SweeneyABC) August 3, 2021

Fight is Latest Episode in a Disturbing Trend at Miami International Airport

The fight is the latest incident in a long line of fights caught on video at Miami International Airport. At least three fights have been documented, including a gate-side brawl over standby seats in April 2021, two people fighting at the check-in counter in June 2021 and one incident over racial slurs in July 2021.