67-year-old Arthur Lundeen, the man who was duct-taped to his seat on an American Airlines flight after he created a nuisance, has been fired from the real estate company where he was the VP — after the incident. The flight from Dallas to Newark had to be diverted to Baltimore last week as Lundeen started using racial and homophobic slurs on the flight. Lundeen was arrested after the flight landed and faces state charges including second-degree assault and disorderly conduct. The FBI is also investigating the incident and could pursue federal charges, authorities said.Long Realty, a Tucson-based real-estate company, said it terminated its affiliation with Lundeen after learning about the incident. “Long Realty is aware of reports concerning criminal charges filed against a former affiliated real estate agent arising from an incident that allegedly occurred during a commercial flight,” the company said in a statement. “The conduct described in the reports is wholly inconsistent with the professionalism, integrity, compassion, and respect for others that Long Realty expects from those affiliated with the company,” the statement read.Lundeen’s LinkedIn profile identified him as a vice president at Long Realty in Tucson, although his profile was subsequently removed from the company’s website. Long Realty said Lundeen was no longer associated with the company and was not authorised to represent it. “Long Realty promptly ended its affiliation with the individual,” the company said, adding that it had “no tolerance” for conduct that falls short of its professional standards.According to reports, Lundeen was travelling aboard American Airlines Flight 618 on Thursday night when he allegedly became increasingly belligerent toward passengers and crew.
Major chaos inside flight, whoever intervened got pushed by Lundeen
A fellow passenger, Juan Mejia, a former law enforcement officer, told ABC News that Lundeen was sitting two rows behind him when the disturbance began. Mejia said Lundeen directed derogatory remarks and racial slurs at airline staff and other passengers and used offensive language toward women sitting nearby. The situation escalated after a flight attendant intervened. Lundeen allegedly directed a racial slur at the Black flight attendant and also made anti-gay remarks.He was also accused of physically striking his seatmate and damaging a computer during the confrontation. When another female passenger attempted to intervene, Lundeen allegedly pushed her.Several passengers eventually stepped in to restrain him.Dramatic images from inside the aircraft showed Lundeen with his hands, torso and head restrained using duct tape, while his wrists were bound with zip ties.The flight was diverted to Baltimore because of what American Airlines described as a “disruptive customer”. Law enforcement officers met the aircraft after it landed and removed the passenger before the flight continued to Newark.Maryland Transportation Police arrested Lundeen, while the FBI later confirmed that it was investigating the incident.“The FBI is currently conducting interviews to gather the facts and will consult with the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland to determine if federal charges will be filed,” the agency said.
