A woman in Florida was forcibly removed from a plane after allegedly refusing to wear a face mask, becoming irate at flight attendants and spitting at other passengers.
Adelaide Schrowang, 23, of Sarasota, was arrested at Southwest Florida International Airport on Wednesday, July 7.
She allegedly became angry at attendants on the Delta flight who told her to put on a mask, as required by federal law on planes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lee County Port Authority Police said Schrowang then became more aggressive and started to spit at fellow passengers, reported NBC 2.
The captain then asked police to get her off the flight.
The 23-year-old refused to co-operate and had to been physically removed from the plane, according to NBC 2.
Online records show Schrowang was arrested and charged with resisting officers (obstruct without violence), trespassing and county ordinance violation, namely interfering with aircraft operations.
Lee County Port Authority Police has been contacted for comment.
In April, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) confirmed that it will be extending its mask mandate requiring all passengers to cover their faces on flights and at airports through to September 13.
"The federal mask requirement throughout the transportation system seeks to minimize the spread of COVID-19 on public transportation," Darby LaJoye, the Senior Official Performing the Duties of the TSA Administrator, said in a statement at the time.
"Right now, about half of all adults have at least one vaccination shot and masks remain an important tool in defeating this pandemic. We will continue to work closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to evaluate the need for these directives and recognize the significant level of compliance thus far," LaJoye added.
The incident in Florida is not the first issue on a plane said to have been sparked over mask rules. On Monday, July 5, an American Airlines flight was canceled after around 30 high-school students refused to wear masks on a flight from Charlotte Douglas International Airport to the Bahamas.
American Airlines spokesperson Andrew Trull told Newsweek that the students "became disruptive" to other passengers and also refused to follow crew member instructions while onboard.
"Per procedure, the customers involved were asked to exit the aircraft. We expect our customers to comply with our policies when they choose to fly with us, and we take action when that is not the case," Trull said.
Passenger Christina Randolph told WSOC-TV: "All they had to do was follow the rules, put the mask on, sit there. No smart-mouth comments. And they couldn't do it."
Fellow passenger Stephanie Krzywanski added. "Some people's vacations are ruined. They were only going for a couple of nights. Now, they have to get rebooked."
