A passenger attacked an American Airlines flight attendant on Wednesday, resulting in a broken nose and being hospitalized.

The company's chief executive said the incident was "one of the worst displays of unruly behavior" they've ever witnessed.

Washington Post reported that the flight attendant bumped the passenger while moving through the first-class cabin. The flight attendant reportedly apologized, but the passenger left his seat, confronted her, and then punched her in the face.

Julie Hedrick, president of the Association of Professional Flight Attendants that represents those who fly for American Airlines, said the flight attendant was taken to a hospital to treat broken bones in her face and was eventually released.

The incident prompted the pilots to divert Flight 976 to Denver, where the passenger was detained. The original flight route was from New York to California.

American Airlines to Ban the Unruly Passenger

A witness tweeted a photo of the restrained passenger. The witness said the person "didn't want to wear a mask," NPR reported. However, American Airlines said it was not mask-related.

The airline noted that it was "outraged" by the incident, and the individual involved in the altercation would never be allowed to travel with American Airlines in the future.

The company said they would not be satisfied until the person "has been prosecuted to the full extent of the law." In an emailed statement sent to NPR, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said they would investigate the matter.

Passengers said the man had to be duct-taped to his seat, adding that alcohol was involved before things turned violent. One passenger noted that luckily there was a doctor on the flight, ABC 7 NY reported.

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Unruly Behavior on Flights

American Airlines CEO Doug Parker described the incident as the worst display of unruly behavior.

Parker said American Airlines would not tolerate airport or in-flight misconduct of any conduct, especially on their crew members and airport team, USA Today reported.

American Airlines had offered help to the involved flight attendant, as well as to other crew members. The company also expressed gratitude to the team for keeping everyone safe on board.

The unruly behavior of passengers on planes continued to rise since travel resumed after the early stages of the COVID pandemic. The FAA has already received almost 5,000 reports of such behavior this year. 

Of those reported cases, 72 percent involved face masks, and some 206 cases led to penalties. The FAA announced $531,545 in civil penalties as of August 19.

Proposed fines ranged from $7,500 against a passenger who reportedly threatened to kill another passenger seated near him to $45,000 against a passenger who reportedly threw objects, including his carry-on luggage, at other passengers and put his head up a flight attendant's skirt.

The FAA noted that about 906 investigations had been initiated this year. Offenders who assault a flight attendant can face a prison sentence of up to 20 years, as an assault against flight attendants is considered a felony.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: American Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Passenger Assaults Attendant - From NBC News