CHARLOTTE — Tillman Robinson, a flight attendant with American Airlines, was assaulted by a passenger on a flight from Charlotte to Las Vegas on December 31, 2023.
Robinson, who had worked for American Airlines for 25 years, was attacked by a 25-year-old passenger during the flight.
The passenger was cited for assault and later completed anger management, which resulted in his record being wiped clean.
“He starts putting his finger in my face; he starts yelling expletives; then he pushes me, and then he starts taking swings,” Robinson recounted.
Following the incident, Robinson was suspended by American Airlines and subsequently fired ten months later. He expressed shock at the decision, stating, “Very shocked, very shocked.”
Robinson’s union has been working to get him rehired, but so far, efforts have not been successful. Robinson believes he was penalized for defending himself during the altercation.
“It starts with asking people to step back, move away, turn around, and walk away when they are trying to strike at you,” Robinson explained, emphasizing that he used the training provided by the airline to protect himself.
Robinson also voiced concerns about his future employment prospects, saying, “Now I’m worried about how I’m going to keep my house at 51; at 51, who’s going to hire me?”
American Airlines released a statement regarding the incident, saying:
“We take these matters incredibly seriously. After conducting a thorough internal investigation, it was determined the former team member acted in a manner inconsistent with our expectations and defined policies — prior to the altercation and throughout.”
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