A flight had to be canceled after a group of 30 teenagers refused to wear face masks on board, it has been reported.
The service from North Carolina in the US to the Bahamas remained on the ground because the teenagers allegedly would not comply with the legal requirement.
As a result, they were forced to sleep in Charlotte Douglas International Airport overnight as they’re too young to check into a hotel.
Passengers also on the American Airlines service said the Boston teenagers were being “very obnoxious”.
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The teenagers were believed to be on their way to the Bahamas for a graduation trip.
Passenger Stephanie Krzywanski filmed calling a local news station from the plane, as a young man waves at the camera from behind her.
“There were a group of high school seniors celebrating their graduation who were being rowdy and not wearing their masks,” she told WLTX.
“What transpired was a lot of back and forth between, I assume, the parents.”
An airline spokesperson confirmed that the group was “non-compliant” with the federal mask mandate that requires passengers to wear a face-covering on planes.
According to other passengers, onboard the teenagers become disruptive and refused to follow crew members’ orders.
“It was bad. Firstly they were yelling, they were cussing, they were being very obnoxious,” Malik Banks, who was sitting next to the group, told WSOC-TV.
“It wasn’t all of them… I’d say 75 to 80 percent of them were being terrible kids.”
Malik said there was a six-hour wait before those on board were told what was happening.
Christina Randolph, also on board, said: “All they had to do was follow the rules, put the mask on, sit there, no smart mouth comments. They couldn’t do it.’
The airline said the flight faced an ‘extended delay’ and was rescheduled for Tuesday morning.
All passengers, including the ones who caused the initial disruption, were rebooked onto the new flight after they agreed to wear their face masks, Ameican Airlines spokesperson Andrew Trull told Newsweek.
“Per procedure, the customers involved were asked to exit the aircraft,” he said.
“We expect our customers to comply with our policies when they choose to fly with us, and we take action when that is not the case.”
Those on the flight were given hotel and meal vouchers while they waited for the new flight.