A major airline is under fire this weekend and, no, it’s not United. A Delta Air Lines pilot sparked controversy on Saturday after a video appeared to show him hitting a passenger. In the footage, posted on TMZ, a skirmish breaks out among two passengers exiting a flight at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The pilot steps in to intervene and, in doing so, appears to abruptly smack one woman. The fight quickly breaks up and the passengers are escorted away by security. According to The New York Times, the incident took place on April 21. Delta said the pilot was initially suspended, but was cleared after an investigation. The company said in a statement: We became aware of this incident and a video last week and immediately removed the pilot from duty while we completed a thorough investigation. Local law enforcement was called to respond at the time of the incident. The pilot has since been returned to work as our investigation found that his actions de-escalated an altercation between passengers on the Jetway floor during deplaning. The airline also made headlines earlier this week after a passenger claimed he was kicked off a flight for using the bathroom. The controversies come on the heels of the ongoing criticism facing United Airlines after a passenger was dragged off a flight. The airline initially defended the incident but, after widespread scrutiny from consumers and Congress, later apologized. United settled with the passenger and agreed to change some of its policies. Its CEO, Oscar Munoz, will testify in a related House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing this week. United also sparked ire in March after three girls were barred from a flight because they were wearing leggings.
