Two women were removed from a British Airways flight at Heathrow for reportedly fighting over a Donald Trump “Make America Great Again” (Maga) hat.
The incident began when the women, aged 40 and 60, prepared to board a flight to Austin, Texas, on Monday (28 October).
According to witnesses, one asked the other to remove her Maga hat, sparking a confrontation that allegedly escalated to punches in the cabin.
Flight BA191 was scheduled to depart at 12.10pm, but eventually took off at 2.11pm without the two women on board.
Police escorted them off the aircraft after the captain requested assistance.
Afterwards, each filed claims of affray against the other.
“Shortly after 12.45pm on Monday, 28 October, police at Heathrow were made aware of an incident involving two women waiting to board a plane in Terminal 5,” police said in a statement.
“A woman in her 40s and a woman in her 60s made counter allegations of affray. Enquiries are ongoing,” they added.
British Airways said in a statement: “We apologised to our customers for the delay and got them on the way as quickly as possible.”
“With the US presidential election so close, tensions are sky-high. Airline crew could not run the risk of a full-scale punch-up at 30,000ft,” report The Sun.
“BA officials cannot recall a flight being delayed before due to a passenger’s baseball cap. It was extraordinary.”
The Independent has reached out to British Airways for comment.
Red Maga hats, sold on Donald Trump’s website for £50, have previously sparked fights between the Republican former president’s supporters and Democrats.
In January 2019, a confrontation between Nathan Phillips, a Native American elder, and Nick Sandmann, a Covington Catholic High School student, sparked a nationwide debate over the meaning and perception of Maga hats in the US.
An investigation into the stand-off exonerated the boys involved of any wrongdoing.
For more travel news and advice, listen to Simon Calder’s podcast