ROUGH AIR

Airline Sued After Drunken Passenger Punches Elderly Woman

A grieving retiree said flight attendants turned a blind eye when an over-served passenger assaulted her.

A 72-year-old retiree said the cabin crew on her October 2024 Delta Air Lines flight over-served a couple and stood by as one of them punched her in the chest. The Independent reported that Minnie Holmes, grieving her son’s death, was returning from a trip to Puerto Rico when an “obviously intoxicated” couple in the row in front of her had reclined their seats too far. After Holmes told flight attendants, she alleges that they simply served the couple another round of drinks—a violation of federal regulations prohibiting cabin crews from serving alcohol to passengers who appear drunk. After “repeated outbursts,” Holmes alleged that one of the passengers turned around and punched her. Still, the flight attendants did nothing, allegedly telling Holmes, “You guys need to figure this out.” The couple was eventually escorted off the plane by law enforcement upon landing, and it is unknown whether they faced criminal charges. In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, Holmes said she is seeking unspecified monetary damages for medical expenses, emotional distress, and pain and suffering. A Delta spokesperson told The Independent that they did not have a “specific comment” on the litigation but have “zero tolerance for customers who engage in inappropriate or unlawful behavior.”