Man threatens to ‘slap’ Southwest workers during airport meltdown

A traveler went berserk at Kansas City International Airport on New Year’s Eve, vowing to “slap” female Southwest Airlines workers as he screamed at staff in a caught-on-camera tirade.

The outburst unfolded around 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at a Southwest Airlines counter in the unsecured area of the airport.

In video posted on social media by X user Collin Rugg, the man can be heard boasting about his background while hurling abuse at the workers, declaring, “I’m from the UK, n—a!” as he continued threatening the women behind the counter.

The roughly four-minute clip shows the man placing his hand on a Southwest employee’s computer screen, prompting her to warn him to step back.

When the employee threatened to call police, the man lashed out, shouting, “I don’t give a f–k about getting arrested, b—h!” and adding, “I’ll still smack your b—h a–!”

He continued making threats as a male colleague stood behind the counter, then leaned over toward the employee and snarled, “This counter ain’t saving you!”

“If I wanted to, I would have got your b—h a– already,” he added, pointing at the woman as she stood her ground.

As nearby passengers looked on, the man shouted at other female employees and threatened physical violence, with witnesses saying travelers stepped in to defend the workers while the disturbance spread through the gate area.

The employee then appeared to grab her phone to call police, prompting the man to angrily approach her workstation from behind the counter.

Two coworkers intervened, placing themselves between the woman and the man as he continued yelling threats.

The confrontation escalated further when the man raised his voice and complained, “I’ve been here since 5:30,” as several people in the terminal attempted — unsuccessfully — to calm him down.

Another man in a baseball cap approached the passenger, who appeared to challenge him, while the woman filming the incident told the unruly man to “shut up.”

“Or what, b—h?” the man shot back.

The two men were held apart as tensions flared, with one bystander urging, “Don’t escalate!”

As he was pulled away, the man continued taunting the would-be interveners, sneering, “N—a, you a soft b—h, like your woman.”

According to Rugg, the man was later arrested.

Airport officials said the confrontation unfolded during a broader security investigation that briefly disrupted operations at Kansas City International Airport.

In an update issued later Wednesday, the Kansas City Aviation Department said the airport had reopened and was operating normally after police and the FBI cleared the scene.

A spokesperson for the FBI’s Kansas City office said agents and airport police “worked quickly to evaluate the situation and ensure the safety of everyone, including evacuating travelers from the affected area of the terminal.”

Authorities ultimately determined there was “no credible threat” to the airport or those inside, the FBI said.

Once the all-clear was given, Aviation Department staff moved to resume normal operations and limit disruptions to travelers.

Earlier in the day, airport officials acknowledged they were investigating a potential threat, saying airport police were working alongside the FBI “to substantiate any potential threat.”

No arrests were announced in connection with the disturbance, and officials did not disclose whether the man seen in the viral video was taken into custody.