An "air rage" incident that forced a Delta flight to turn back to the airport in December now continues with a charge being dropped against one man involved in the incident.
On Dec. 28, authorities cited 35-year-old Blake Adam Fleisig, of Los Angeles, for disorderly conduct involving brawling or fighting, according to the Minneapolis Pioneer Press. Anna Christine Koosmann, 36, of Edina, was also ticketed for disorderly conduct and for obstructing police, the newspaper noted.
The two were reportedly aboard a Delta Air Lines flight bound for Los Angeles when the ruckus started. At the time, authorities said it appeared that denial of a bathroom request shortly after takeoff was at the center of the incident, the Pioneer Press reported.
Airport spokesman Patrick Hogan said the couple refused to follow the directions of the flight crew and created such a disturbance that the plane was forced to return to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport after an hour of flying.
Video of the police taking the pair off the airplane has gone viral with more than 3 million views on YouTube.
NBC News reported Thursday that Metropolitan Airports Commission decided against pursuing a case against Fleisig. Hogan told NBC News that Fleisig was drawn into an altercation after another passenger attempted to trip him.
Koosmann is expected to appear in court Friday on her charges, which are misdemeanors.
The International Air Transport Association reported that there were 10,854 cases of "air rage" reported in 2015, a 16.5-percent increase from the 9,316 cases reported in 2014, according to NBC News.
"Unruly and disruptive behavior is simply not acceptable," Alexandre de Juniac, the International Air Transport Association's director general, said in a statement last September. "The anti-social behavior of a tiny minority of customers can have unpleasant consequences for the safety and comfort of all on board."
"The increase in reported incidents tells us that more effective deterrents are needed. Airlines and airports are guided by core principles developed in 2014 to help prevent and manage such incidents. But we cannot do it alone," de Juniac continued.
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