Two detained at Austin airport following brawl over reported seat-reclining dispute

AUSTIN, Texas (KEYE) — Sunday afternoon, two men were detained at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) following a brawl that allegedly broke out over a seat-reclining issue.

WARNING: The fight in the following video may be disturbing to some. Viewer discretion is advised.

At 4:21 p.m., Austin police were dispatched to the scene of an American Airlines flight, where two men were throwing punches on a plane parked at the gate.

Viewer video shared with KEYE shows two men actively exchanging blows while passengers and flight crew attempted to intervene.

Urgent calls to "clear the aisle!" and "return to your seats immediately!" can be heard echoing throughout the cabin, as one passenger adamantly repeats "stop, it's not worth it!"

According to witnesses, the plane was returning to Austin from New Orleans when the two men started verbally assaulting each other over a seat that was stuck in the reclined position.

When the plane finally landed in Austin and the seatbelt sign was turned off, both men jumped up and physically started fighting each other," said one anonymous passenger.

Police were called onto the plane to escort the individuals off the aircraft and confirmed both were detained. It's unclear if either were arrested.

KEYE News reached out to American Airlines for comment, who confirmed:

Law enforcement were requested to meet American Eagle flight 4698, operated by Republic Airways, after arriving to Austin (AUS) from New Orleans (MSY) due to an altercation between passengers.