This incident reflects a broader trend, as similar disruptions have occurred on other flights this December, including those operated by JetBlue and Spirit Airlines.

Travelers at major airports, including New York City's JFK, have reported long lines and frustrations, highlighting the challenges of holiday travel.

After the incident, the flight resumed its journey to Ohio at 10:02 PM and successfully landed at John Glenn Columbus International Airport at 3:18 AM on December 24, experiencing a total delay of just under three hours.

Details regarding the cause of the altercation and the identities of the involved passengers have not been disclosed, and the investigation is ongoing.

Phoenix police were called to the gate shortly before 9 PM to investigate the reported altercation, but both passengers were uncooperative with the investigation.

One passenger was removed from the flight before it could take off again, but no arrests were made during the police's response to the situation.

On December 23, 2024, Southwest Airlines Flight 1699, which had departed from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport en route to Columbus, Ohio, was forced to return to Phoenix due to an on-board altercation shortly after takeoff.

The flight, operated by a Boeing 737-700, took off at approximately 7:01 PM but returned to Phoenix after circling for about half an hour, landing back at around 8:30 PM.

This incident occurred during a peak travel season, with AAA projecting that 119.3 million people would travel at least 50 miles from December 21, 2024, to January 1, 2025, marking a record increase from previous years.

The TSA anticipates screening about 40 million passengers nationwide during this holiday travel period, which is expected to exceed last year's volumes.

Despite concerns over unruly behavior, incidents have decreased since their peak in 2021, with the FAA reporting 1.9 unruly passengers per 10,000 flights as of mid-December 2024.

As holiday travel volumes surge, the TSA has hired an additional 600 officers to manage the expected increase in passenger traffic.