The unexpected announcement from an American Airlines pilot about social etiquette has caused an internet sensation.
Comedy producer and flight passenger Anna Leah Maltezos shared the recording of the announcement via her Instagram on July 26. The video, titled “American Airlines Pilot Is Sick Of You,” has gone viral, racking up more than 5.2 million views.
From the start, the anonymous Boeing 737 pilot urges passengers to be courteous to cabin crew.
“Remember that the flight attendants are here for your safety. Afterwards, they are here to make your flight more enjoyable,” announces the pilot. “They will take care of you, but you will listen to what they have to say because they represent my will in the cabin.”
And he continued: “And my will is what matters.”
Although the video is just over a minute long, the pilot managed to address a ton of social behaviors he finds off-putting: from playing videos loudly and putting luggage where it shouldn’t, to passing out and drooling all over other passengers.
“The social experiment of listening to videos in speakerphone mode and talking on the phone in speakerphone mode, that’s over,” he said. “It’s over in this country. Nobody wants to hear your video.”
As his speech drew attention, the pilot insisted on manners and etiquette over the plane’s intercom.
“You guys should treat people the way you want to be treated, but I have to say it on every flight because people don’t,” the pilot said. “They are selfish and rude and we are not going to allow it.”
The witty tirade caught many passengers by surprise, with some exclaiming “Jesus” and “What’s going on?” in the background of the video. But the Internet loves it.
One user commented on Maltezos’s post, siding with the pilot: “He’s not wrong: saying this means he’s fed up with all these childish adults.”
Another Instagram user commented: “If you are offended by this speech, congratulations, you are the problem.”
A annual report of the International Air Transport Association found that for every 835 flights in 2021, an “unruly incident” was reported. That number rose to one in 568 flights by 2022.
Non-compliance, verbal abuse and intoxication are considered typical unruly behaviour, the IATA said.
“The increasing trend of rogue passenger incidents is concerning. While our professional crews are well trained to handle rogue passenger scenarios, it is unacceptable that rules established for the safety of all are flouted by a small but persistent minority of passengers.” said IATA Deputy Director General Conrad Clifford. “There is no excuse for not following the instructions of the crew.
