Delta flight diverted after off-duty flight attendant becomes unruly

A Delta Air Lines flight from California to Georgia was diverted to Oklahoma on Friday night after a passenger became unruly and had to be subdued, CBS Los Angeles reports. Delta confirmed that the passenger was an off-duty flight attendant.

Delta Flight 1730 out of Los Angeles was originally headed to Atlanta, Georgia, but was diverted to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where the man who caused the disturbance was taken into custody. Passengers aboard the flight said the man made an announcement over the plane's PA system telling the passengers to take their seats and prepare to put on their oxygen masks, CBS LA reports. 

Some passengers said the man attempted to open the cabin door, but Delta Airlines disputes this. The man had to be subdued by the on-duty flight crew and several passengers.

In a statement, Delta said that "the aircraft landed without incident and the passenger was removed by law enforcement." 

This is the second Delta flight in as many days that had to be diverted due to an unruly passenger. On Thursday, a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles to New York was forced to land in Detroit after a passenger became a "threat," according to "CBS This Morning Saturday" co-host Dana Jacobson, who was on board the flight.

Since multiple COVID-19 vaccines have become widely available and states have begun to ease pandemic-related restrictions, many Americans have resumed flying. But with this return to commercial air travel has come a surge in unruly passenger behavior both at the airport and midflight.

The uptick in passenger disruptions has prompted multiple airlines to pull back on serving alcohol on some domestic flights.