Passengers get into fistfight aboard Los Angeles-bound flight, video shows
One of the men was subsequently arrested, the airline said.
— -- Two passengers were filmed getting into a fight ahead of takeoff on a Los Angeles-bound All Nippon Airways flight Monday, prompting authorities to remove one of the men involved.
Marvin Singleton, a spokesman for ANA, confirmed to ABC News that the alleged instigator of the fight was a male American in his 40s, adding that he allegedly assaulted other passengers and an airline employee.
Singleton said that the American man was deemed a safety threat to other passengers and was arrested by local law enforcement after he was removed from the flight, which was scheduled to depart Narita International Airport late Monday afternoon.
“All Nippon Airways apologizes to our passengers on Flight#6 to Los Angeles for the pre-flight incident," the airline said in a statement. "The individuals involved have been dealt with appropriately by local law enforcement.”
In the video, shot by a fellow passenger, the two passengers can be seen exchanging blows.
Corey Hour, the witness who shot the video, told ABC Radio in an interview that he thought the man who started the fight seemed very angry. "It was literally out of nowhere," he said, adding that it was unclear what had caused his anger.
“I see him leaning over his chair arguing with the guy directly behind and the two lines that I made out that he said [were], ‘Where are you from?’ and ‘I'm going to kill you.’”
Hour added that he thought the airline handled the incident well.
"They did what they could; this was not the airline's fault, it was an isolated incident," he said. "The airline did what they could to diffuse the situation."
Narita Airport Police confirmed to ABC News that the incident took place but did not elaborate further.
ABC News' Ben Gittleson contributed to this report.