A Frontier Airlines pilot was arrested and escorted out of a plane in Houston just moments before the flight’s scheduled departure Thursday afternoon, airline officials said Saturday.
“Frontier Airlines can confirm that on Aug. 1, 2024, at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston (IAH) a crew member was taken into custody by local law enforcement,” a company spokesperson told the Daily News.
The arrest occurred just before passengers of Flight 3195, which was scheduled to depart IAH on its way to Dallas Forth Worth International, began boarding the aircraft.
The Houston Airport System, which manages the city’s three airports, also confirmed the incident, saying Houston police conducted an arrest warrant on a Frontier Airlines aircraft “on Thursday at approximately 4 p.m.”
A video shared on social media appears to show a pilot with his hands behind his back walking down the jetway stairs accompanied by three police officers.
The incident led to the cancellation of the flight since a “replacement crew member was not immediately available,” the spokesperson told The News.
The pilot was later identified by Houston police as 45-year-old Seymour Walker, local TV station KHOU reported.
He was wanted on an assault-family violence warrant filed by the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport Department of Public Safety, authorities said. Information on what led to the warrant was not provided.