A Delta spokesperson issued a swift apology after a drunken passenger unleashed a racist tirade and forced an Atlanta-bound flight to delay its departure from New York.
Jerome Anixter, 60, of Brooklyn, was arrested and hauled off Delta flight 2342 by Port Authority police officers around 1:30 p.m. Thursday, law enforcement sources said. Officers boarded the aircraft at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens after receiving a call about an apparently intoxicated passenger causing a disturbance while the plane prepared for takeoff.
Video that circulated online, reportedly filmed by a fellow traveler, captured the moment Anixter was escorted off the aircraft. He hurled the N-word and yelled, “Can you believe these mother f–kers?!” as officers removed him.
The footage was shared on X by the account @thenewsjunkie, who said the filming passenger claimed the man also yelled “Death to America” and pretended to shoot fellow passengers. The Post was not immediately able to confirm that the man in the video is Anixter, though the flight details match those provided by sources.
“Delta has zero tolerance for disruptive behavior, and we thank law enforcement for their assistance in removing this unruly customer,” a spokesperson for the airline said in a statement. The representative added that the company apologized to customers on Delta flight DL2342 for the experience and any resulting delay in their travels.
The aircraft, carrying 160 passengers and six crewmembers, ultimately departed from JFK 45 minutes behind schedule once the incident concluded.
Anixter faces multiple charges following his removal from the plane. Law enforcement sources said he was arrested and charged with assault, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and obstructing governmental administration.
What specifically triggered Anixter’s alleged outburst onboard remained unclear. The outlet reached out to him for comment.
The Thursday afternoon disturbance marks the latest in a string of incidents involving unruly passengers on U.S. Flights, where alcohol-related disruptions have prompted renewed scrutiny from airlines and federal regulators. Delta’s public condemnation of Anixter’s behavior and its direct apology to affected travelers underscored the carrier’s effort to distance itself from the episode.
The video’s spread on social media amplified attention on the confrontation, with the X post by @thenewsjunkie helping surface claims about Anixter’s alleged conduct beyond what was visible in the footage itself. The additional allegations of simulated gunfire gestures and anti-American rhetoric, attributed to the anonymous filming passenger, could not be independently verified.
Port Authority police, who handle security at the New York area’s major airports, routinely respond to disturbances aboard aircraft at JFK. The agency’s officers removed Anixter without further escalation beyond the verbal abuse captured on camera.
Anixter’s case now proceeds through the criminal justice system in New York. The specific court handling his arraignment was not immediately disclosed in available reports.