Following an alleged racist and homophobic outburst on a flight which resulted in a man being duct-taped to his seat, it has been revealed that he has now been fired from his job.
Arthur Lundeen has now lost his job as vice president at Long Realty in Tucson, in addition to being charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct, Metro reports.
“While estate agents are independent contractors, the appropriate conduct of anyone associated with Long Realty is paramount to us”, Kevin Kaplan, CEO of parent organisation Long Companies said.
“To that end, the individual in question is no longer associated with Long Realty”, it added.
How the fired estate agent insulted others on the plane
Lundeen, 67, last Thursday allegedly used the N-word against a member of cabin crew on American Airlines Flight 618 from Dallas to Newark.
The fired estate agent also made alleged homophobic remarks, and flight attendants decided to restrain him with tape and cable ties once he also bit a fellow passenger.
After he allegedly pushed a woman on the aircraft who tried to help, three other men then intervened to help tie him down.
“Just like a light switch, all of a sudden, it went from quiet to yelling and chaos”, Juan Mejia, a retired police officer on a flight home from a gun show said.
To restrain Lundeen, he and fellow passenger Richard Olenick were two of the men who helped.
Lundeen was then arrested by Maryland Transportation Authority Police after the flight was diverted to Baltimore Washington International Airport.
According to the police force, the incident is being investigated by the FBI and Lundeen was treated for an open wound to his arm.
Meanwhile, American Airlines said: “The safety and security of our customers and team members is our top priority and we do not tolerate violence. We thank our team members for their professionalism and our customers for their understanding.”
Lundeen, who was released with no-cash bail, will face trial on 19 October.