A viral video has captured a chaotic scene at Santiago’s Nuevo Pudahuel Airport, Chile, where an enraged traveler destroyed an American Airlines counter using a hammer.
The incident occurred late Monday, August 26th, when a Haitian man, who was planning to fly from Santiago to Miami and then on to Haiti, discovered that he had been scammed. The man had purchased a fake plane ticket and was unable to board his flight.
Frustrated and furious, the traveler began to scream and shout at the airline staff. He then climbed over the counter and started smashing mounted TV screens and computer screens with a hammer.
The destruction caused significant damage, estimated at approximately $20,000. Airport security eventually intervened and detained the man, who was subsequently handed over to the police.
American Airlines confirmed the incident and apologized for any inconvenience caused to their customers.
“We thank our team for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
