American Airlines Breaks Silence On Alec Baldwin Fiasco; Says Actor Ignored Rules, Was Rude, Vulgar To Crew
Dec. 6 2011, Published 12:00 p.m. ET
The Alec Baldwin-American Airlines saga continues, as the airline Wednesday issued a statement addressing why the opinionated actor was booted off a flight at LAX on Tuesday.
In it, they said Baldwin ignored orders to turn off his cell phone, tried to sneak it into the plane bathroom, and was vulgar and rude when confronted by the crew about his infractions.
Here is the full statement, per the airline: "Since an extremely vocal customer has publicly identified himself as being removed from an American Airlines flight on Tuesday, Dec. 6, we have elected to provide the actual facts of the matter as well as the FAA regulations which American, and all airlines, must enforce. Cell phones and electronic devices are allowed to be used while the aircraft is at the gate and the door is open for boarding. When the door is closed for departure and the seat belt light is turned on, all cell phones and electronic devices must be turned off for taxi-out and take-off.
“This passenger declined to turn off his cell phone when asked to do so at the appropriate time. The passenger ultimately stood up (with the seat belt light still on for departure) and took his phone into the plane’s lavatory. He slammed the lavatory door so hard, the cockpit crew heard it and became alarmed, even with the cockpit door closed and locked. They immediately contacted the cabin crew to check on the situation. The passenger was extremely rude to the crew, calling them inappropriate names and using offensive language. Given the facts above, the passenger was removed from the flight and denied boarding."
As we previously reported, after getting the boot, the 30 Rock star fired off a series of hostile tweets: “Flight attendant on American reamed me out 4 playing WORDS W FRIENDS while we sat at the gate, not moving. #nowonderamericaairisbankrupt ... But, oddly, 30 Rock plays inflight on American. #theresalwaysunited ... United Airlines should buy Words With Friends ... Last flight w American. Where retired Catholic school gym teachers from the 1950s find jobs as flight attendants.”