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- American Airlines has suspended alcohol sales on flights to and from the Washington, DC area after pro-Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol in a violent insurrection that lasted hours.
- The airline has also increased staffing at nearby airports, and along with Delta Air Lines is working with law enforcement.
- Airlines had already moved their crew from hotels in central Washington in anticipation of protests, CNBC reported.
- Videos on Tuesday showed pro-Trump supports heckling Utah Republican Sen. Mitt Romney at an airport and on a flight because he refused to back the president’s efforts to overturn the election results.
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American Airlines will not serve alcohol on flights to and from the Washington, DC area after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol, a spokesperson said.
The airline has also increased staffing at Washington-area airports “as a precautionary measure.”
Both American and Delta Air Lines said Wednesday they were working with law enforcement and airport agencies in the area to ensure the safety of travelers and workers.
Prior to the riots, some airlines had moved their flight crews to hotels outside the central Washington area in anticipation of protests, CNBC reported. American and United Airlines had both said they would move crews to airport hotels, and Alaska Airlines told staff to avoid downtown Washington.
This followed reports of unruly passengers on flights into the DC area on Tuesday ahead of the riots at the Capitol, raising concern about later departures from the region.
Footage appeared on social media Tuesday showing pro-Trump supports heckling Utah Republican Senator Mitt Romney both at an airport gate and onboard an aircraft because he refused to back the president's efforts to overturn the election results. Fellow travelers shouted at Romney, calling him a "traitor" and a "joke."
On Wednesday, hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the Capitol while Congress was meeting to certify President-elect Joe Biden's victory. At least four people died in the violence that followed, and it took authorities around four hours to regain control of the building and declare the Capitol secure.
Congress confirmed Biden's win early Thursday morning.
The Transportation Security Administration, which has authority over US travel security, said it is "always on high alert" and has "multiple layers of security in place." It declined to provide details for security reasons.
Roger Dow, the head of the US Travel Association, condemned the disruption at the Capitol.
"The behavior we are witnessing has no place in any peaceful democracy, much less in the country that is supposed to be the foremost example of democratic principles," Dow said in a statement.