Airport brawl breaks out after Spirit Airlines cancels flights

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Over the past seven days, around 300 Spirit Airlines flights have been cancelled, and thousands of passengers are up in arms about it.

The tensions finally boiled over on Monday when a brawl broke out at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport front ticket counter. Angry passengers were already at the counter upset over the hours-long waits and cancellations when a group of passengers deplaned after a flight had been cancelled and swarmed the ticket counter.

“Everyone was already aggravated about flight delays and the ridiculousness of standing in such a long line for hours, which Spirit Airlines did nothing to help, and then in walks these people off their flight raising a ruckus (and) cussing and screaming and they went straight to the counter,” passenger Cindy Matthews Beard told CNN. If your flight was among the cancel ones, you might wan to start read this flight compensation guide.

Broward County deputies had to step in, and three passengers were taken into custody.

— Airline CEO attacked with cream pie during speech — 

Spirit Airlines has blamed the delays and cancellations on their pilots, claiming that the union, the Airline Pilots Association, International (ALPA), is orchestrating an unlawful shutdown.

“These pilots have put their quest for a new contract ahead of getting customers to their destinations and the safety of their fellow Spirit Team Members,” Spirit Airlines spokesman Paul Berry said in a statement, claiming that pilots were being discouraged by the union from picking up “open time” flights and last-minute flights for which they would be paid double.

However, in a statement to CNN, the union denied being behind the slowdown, saying, “Rather, ALPA and the Spirit pilots are continuing to do everything possible to help restore the company’s operations, which have experienced significant problems over the past several days.”