A United Airlines flight from Des Moines International Airport to Chicago O’Hare faced a significant delay on Monday (October 27) after two flight attendants engaged in a heated argument. The incident on Flight UA-2138, operated by an Airbus A320, led to a delay of over four hours, as reported by Aviation A2Z.
Scheduled to depart at 11:26 a.m., the flight was grounded when the disagreement escalated, prompting United’s Inflight Duty Manager to deplane passengers and replace the entire cabin crew. The flight eventually departed at 3:24 p.m. and arrived in Chicago at 5:09 p.m. One Mile at a Time reported that the disagreement was severe enough to compromise safety, necessitating the replacement of the crew.
According to View from the Wing, Des Moines is not a crew base, making it challenging to find replacement staff quickly.
United Airlines did not provide an official explanation for the delay on its flight status page. Such incidents, while rare, highlight the challenges of crew dynamics, as flight attendants often work with new colleagues on each trip.
Passengers affected by the delay received meal vouchers, but the airline has yet to issue an official comment on the incident.
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