A man went on the rampage at Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport in Santiago de Chile on Tuesday after reportedly learning that he had been sold a fake ticket.
The man, who is reported to be of Haitian descent, turned up at the American Airlines check-in counter to board a flight to Miami but got into an argument with the counter agents after discovering that his ticket wasn’t actually valid.
After learning that he wasn’t going to be traveling to Miami after all, the man flew into a rage and allegedly pulled a hammer from his bag. As stunned bystanders looked on, the man then set about taking the hammer to the computers and large check-in screens.
Local police estimate that the man caused as much as $22,000 of damage during his rampage.
Western Santiago Prefecture Police confirmed that it had taken a Haitian national into custody following the incident. A spokesperson for American Airlines also confirmed that a “disruptive individual” had caused a scene at its check-in counter.
In a statement, the airline added: “We thank our team for their professionalism and apologize to our customers for the inconvenience”.
