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

A flight is turned back over the Atlantic.

A passenger on an American Airlines plane refused to wear a Covid mask and the plane returned to Miami.

A female passenger removed her mask and wouldn't put it back on as Flight AA38 was less than an hour in the air.

The captain made the decision to turn the plane.

One hour and 48 minutes after it left, the plane returned to Miami International Airport.

American Airlines flight 38 from Miami to London returned to MIA due to a disruptive customer refusing to comply with the federal mask requirement.

We apologize to our customers and thank our crew for their professionalism.

The passenger was escorted off the plane by police upon arrival in Miami.

The passenger was escorted off the plane by MDPD officers after the plane made it to the gate. Detective A. Colome from the Miami-Dade Police Department said that the passenger was dealt with by American Airlines staff.

A passenger has been banned from flying with American Airlines.

The safety requirements for Covid-19 remain in place as reports of unruly passenger behavior on planes continue to surge.

More than 70% of the incidents last year were tied to disputes over the federal mask mandate.

The FAA has a zero tolerance policy for unruly passenger behavior that skips warnings and goes directly to penalties, which can include heavy fines and jail time.