An American Airlines passenger who was restrained with duct tape and zip ties after allegedly shouting slurs during a flight has been dismissed from an Arizona real estate firm following what the company described as “concerning criminal charges.”
Arthur Layne Lundeen, 67, lost his affiliation with Tucson-based Long Realty after authorities identified him as the passenger accused of using the N-word toward a flight attendant and yelling anti-gay insults aboard American Airlines Flight 618 on Thursday night.
“Long Realty is aware of reports concerning criminal charges filed against a former affiliated real estate agent arising from an incident that allegedly occurred during a commercial flight,” the company said in a statement posted to Facebook on Sunday.
The firm said it moved quickly once it learned of the allegations. “Upon learning of the incident, Long Realty promptly ended its affiliation with the individual. The individual is no longer associated with or authorized to represent Long Realty in any capacity,” the statement read.
Long Realty added that the behavior described in reports about the flight was “wholly inconsistent” with the standards it expects, citing professionalism, integrity, compassion and respect for others.
“We expect those associated with our company to uphold those values, and we have no tolerance for conduct that so clearly falls short of those expectations,” the statement continued. “Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew members, and others affected by this incident.”
Lundeen’s LinkedIn profile listed him as a vice president with Long Realty in Tucson, but his biography no longer appeared on the company’s website after the incident drew public attention.
Passenger Juan Mejia, a former law enforcement officer traveling on the Dallas-to-Newark flight, told ABC News that he and his friend, Richard Olenick, intervened after hearing Lundeen grow “belligerent” from two rows behind them near the end of the trip.
“[The] gentleman sitting two rows behind us started becoming belligerent, making derogatory remarks to the staff of American Airlines and other passengers, racial slurs, vulgar language, very offensive to the women” sitting in the row behind Lundeen, Mejia said.
Olenick said Mejia “got up right away and jumped in the seat right next to the passenger and began working on restraining him in order to keep the situation contained.”
Insane photos show Lundeen’s head, hands, and torso duct-taped haphazardly to the chair and his wrists bound together in an attempt to restrain him.
The flight was diverted to Baltimore due to a “disruptive customer,” and Lundeen was removed from the plane and arrested upon landing, before passengers could continue to their destination, American Airlines told The Post.
The FBI confirmed Lundeen was arrested by Maryland Transportation Police.
The bigoted ex-realtor was hit with state-level charges of second-degree assault and disorderly conduct, court records show.
“The FBI is currently conducting interviews to gather the facts and will consult with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland to determine if federal charges will be filed,” the bureau said.
