American Airlines London-bound flight turns back to Miami after passenger refuses to wear mask

An American Airlines plane.

American Airlines said a flight to London returned to Miami late Wednesday because a passenger refused to comply with the federal mask requirement.

American Airlines Flight 38, a Boeing 777 with 129 passengers and 14 crew members abroad, turned back to Miami about an hour into the trip.

American said that the return was due to a disruptive customer. Local law enforcement met the aircraft after it landed. We apologize to our customers and thank our crew for their professionalism.

The traveler has been banned from the airline. A request for comment from the Miami-Dade Police Department was not immediately responded to.

The number of reports of unruly behavior on planes increased to a record 5,981 last year, more than 70% of which was tied to disputes over a federal mask mandate that went into effect early last year.

There were physical assaults against crews. In October, an American Airlines flight attendant was hospitalized after a passenger struck her in the face, forcing the cross-country flight to divert.