Airport worker lashes out at Tampa-bound passengers after delays: ‘I will call the police’

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Passengers on a Tampa-bound flight were scolded by an airport worker after their Frontier Airlines flight from Denver International Airport in Colorado was delayed on St. Patrick’s Day.

A video captured by one of the passengers shows the worker yelling and lashing out, repeatedly telling passengers that the workers “are busy.”

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The flight was scheduled to depart at 1:18 p.m. on Sunday, March 17, and land in Tampa shortly before 7 p.m., but was delayed by more than two hours, flight data shows.

A passenger on the Frontier flight, Daniel Lemon, told Storyful that 25 passengers faced delays and were bumped from their flights.

“[They were] in line at the customer service desk for 15 minutes with nobody there and no word if anybody is coming. After knocking on the door behind the counter, this interaction ensued,” Lemon told Storyful.

Lemon filmed the staff member responding to customers, saying, “I will call the police.”

“We are busy!” the worker yelled as people asked him where the other staff were. “Busy!” he repeated.

“Then come tell us you’re busy,” Lemon can be heard telling the worker. The Frontier employee angrily responded, telling Lemon that no one was available to come out to the service counter. “This isn’t even my job! I’m in operations! Everyone who works here is busy!” he shouted.

“Any Frontier employee could come tell us,” Lemon replied.

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In a statement to Storyful, Frontier Airlines said the Tampa-bound flight from Denver “required an aircraft swap prior to departure that resulted in a smaller plane than originally scheduled, necessitating that several customers be moved from a different flight.”

“While waiting for assistance at the service counter, a verbal exchange ensued between customers and an employee of a third-party business partner who is no part of Frontier’s customer service team. That individual has been removed from his duties associated with Fronter. We extend our sincere apologies to our customers involved in this matter,” the airline said.

On St. Patrick’s Day, 219 out of 639 flights were delayed, and three were canceled out of Tampa International Airport.

In a statement to WFLA.com, a spokesperson for TPA said:

“Earlier today, the FAA initiated a departure delay program due to heavy aircraft traffic volume over North Florida. That has now ended, however, an airspace constraint flow program still exists over Jacksonville which could result in some additional delays.”

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