The Haitian man erupted in rage at Santiago’s Nuevo Pudahuel Airport late Monday when he tried to check in for his American Airlines flight to Miami, Florida, New York Post reports.
A furious traveller was caught on camera smashing an American Airlines counter in Chile with a hammer after discovering he had been sold a fake plane ticket.
The Haitian man erupted in rage at Santiago’s Nuevo Pudahuel Airport late Monday when he tried to check in for his American Airlines flight to Miami, Florida, New York Post reports.
According to local outlet Cooperativa, the construction worker, who was planning to stop over in Miami on his way to Haiti, was informed by an airline employee that he couldn’t board the flight.
In a video captured by bystanders, the man can be seen frantically rummaging through his work bag before climbing over the counter and violently demolishing several mounted TV screens with the hammer.
The footage also shows him smashing multiple computer screens at the check-in counter.
The damage caused by the irate traveller is estimated to be around $20,000. Airport security eventually detained him, and he was handed over to the police.
The New York Post reports that an American Airlines spokesperson confirmed the incident, stating that local authorities were called to handle the "disruptive individual" in the airport lobby.
“We appreciate our team’s professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience,” the spokesperson said in a statement.