First-Class Vaper Diverts American Airlines Flight Because It’s Not That Different From Smoking

Photo: Bruce Bennett (Getty Images)

The federal government banned smoking on all flights 24 years ago, but one passenger didn’t get the memo that the ban also included vaping. On Tuesday, an American Airlines flight from Milwaukee to Dallas-Fort Worth diverted to Oklahoma because of an incident caused by someone in first class openly vaping. Accounts differ after a flight attendant told the passenger to stop, but the plane undisputedly landed in Tulsa.

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The vaping passenger reportedly attacked the flight attendant, according to PYOK. After being warned, the vaper leapt from his seat and chased the attendant into the forward galley. Other passengers onboard thankfully got involved to protect the crewmember. That’s when the flight crew decided to divert to Oklahoma and deplane the uncooperative vaper. The flight reached DFW only an hour later than expected.

American Airlines contested this account to the New York Post. While the carrier stated that the flight diverted to Tulsa to remove an unruly passenger, the American said there wasn’t an assault onboard.

Vaping is prohibited on flights for the same reason that smoking is: it’s a fire hazard and disruptive to other passengers. The heating element and the battery could spark a fire, albeit it’s far less likely to do so than a traditional cigarette. The nuisance factor can leave vapers open to legal action from both the airline and other passengers. Dennis Quaid, actor and Ronald Reagan cosplayer, was sued by a seatmate in 2018 for vaping on an Air Canada flight, according to the New York Daily News.

The vaper on this week’s diverted American Airlines flight put himself into the category of unruly passenger, where the FBI is fully willing to levy five-figure fines and criminal charges. The hardline stance produces results, with cases dropping by 80 percent since 2021.