Flight Attendant Hospitalized After Being Attacked By Passenger Following 'Verbal Altercation'

A Southwest Airlines flight attendant was left hospitalized after a passenger reportedly punched her in the face following a savage "verbal altercation" on Saturday, Nov. 13.

Arielle Jean Jackson, 32, has been arrested and charged with aggravated assault after she reportedly engaged in a verbal altercation with a flight attendant and pummeled the victim in the head while she was boarding a Southwest Flight 4976 from Dallas Love Field to New York’s La Guardia Airport on Saturday, Nov. 13, KPLC reported.

Jackson reportedly boarded the flight at around 12:40 p.m. on Nov. 13. After boarding the plane, she headed straight to the back of the aircraft and engaged in an argument with a flight attendant after which she was instructed to leave the airbus.

Jackson proceeded to walk to the front of the plane in order to leave the aircraft and engaged in an argument with another Southwest Airlines employee. However, the argument reportedly reached fever pitch and Jackson, in a fit of rage, allegedly punched that flight attendant in the face, NBC News reported.

The victim, identified only as an operations agent, was taken to a local hospital following the attack and is now in a stable condition.

"We have a Station Manager with her at the hospital with the full support of her Southwest Family sending our thoughts, prayers, and love," a Southwest Airlines spokesman said in an emailed statement.

The statement also mentioned that Southwest Airlines maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any type of harassment or assault that their employees face. The statement also expressed their support towards their employee and added that they are cooperating with local authorities regarding the incident.

Meanwhile, Jackson, who was arrested at the airport, has been held at the Dallas County jail on a $10,000 bond as of Sunday afternoon, Nov. 14.

In a similar but unrelated incident, a Southwest Airlines flight attendant lost two teeth after she was allegedly attacked by a passenger on a flight from Sacramento to San Diego on May. 23.

The passenger, Vyvianna Quinonez, was arrested and charged with battery causing serious bodily injury after she ignored flight instructions, knocked off a flight attendant's two teeth, and inflicted several injuries to her face, USA Today reported.

“The passenger repeatedly ignored standard inflight instructions and became verbally and physically abusive upon landing,” said Southwest spokesman Chris Mainz.

Following the incident, the unidentified flight attendant was taken to a hospital for treatment and was later released.