Flight to Nashville delayed 8 hours over coronavirus confusion on board
A flight from Dallas to Nashville was delayed eight hours and a passenger was arrested after there were concerns about coronavirus comments made on board.
The passenger's son said the entire incident was a misunderstanding due to a language barrier. The charges have since been dropped, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport spokesperson Bill Begley confirmed.
The flight was originally scheduled to take off from Dallas-Fort Worth International just before 7 p.m. on Saturday, but instead took off at 3:10 a.m. local time Sunday and landed about an hour and a half later at Nashville International Airport.
Officers responded to a call around 9:30 p.m. local time that a plane was returning to its gate after a passenger "stated that he had coronavirus," according to an airport legal department incident report obtained by Paste BN.
Emergency medical service officials in hazmat suits evaluated the man in question, George Gjergji, 72, of Paducah, Kentucky, and reported he did not exhibit any COVID-19 symptoms.
In an email to Paste BN, Eri Gjergji, George's 40-year-old son, said his father's words were misinterpreted, noting he is "hard of hearing and speaks broken English."
"He tried to explain that he was sick and was taking his medication," Eri Gjergji added. "He told (the flight attendant) that he needed the medication for the coronavirus. Meaning, that he was afraid of the coronavirus and was told to take it in hopes of protecting him from the disease as he traveled. When she heard this, she panicked and misunderstood him."
The report noted there was a "language barrier" between officers and George Gjergji, and he apologized for what he said at the time.
"Gjergji stated repeatedly he needed his medication from his checked bag and that was the reason he made the statements," it noted.
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Eri Gjergji said a health official cleared his father to return to the plane, but "the flight attendants refused to allow him to board again, prompting the officer to arrest him for making false claims." George Gjergji was held in the airport jail overnight, his son said.
Eri Gjergji said police "investigated the situation and found that he did not make these claims" and have dropped charges. Paste BN has reached out to Dallas-Fort Worth International for more information.
"American Airlines has not reached out to us in any way," Eri Gjergji said. "We feel bad for what happened to him and to the other passengers, and it was completely unnecessary and overreaction on the part of the flight crew."
American Airlines representative Ross Feinstein confirmed to Paste BN the delay was caused "due to a disruptive passenger who was subsequently arrested" but declined to comment further.
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Passenger Jason Halbert, the music director for Kelly Clarkson, was on the flight and said he couldn't tell in the moment whether or not George Gjergji was joking.
Halbert noted that other passengers were not tested for coronavirus.
He later expressed frustration with a "lack of transparency and communication" on the airline's part.
"Given our current national environment, I think it’s essential we have confidence in those in charge, and I did not get that sense at all," he said. "And despite the reassuring emails I have received from AA over the past few days regarding their practices, what I witnessed from my first flight on that day stood in stark contrast to their assurances."