Who is Arthur Lundin? Man duct taped to his seat on flight after hurling racist, anti-LGBTQ slurs | Today’s news

The passenger whose photos went viral after being restrained with duct tape on an American Airlines flight has been identified as 67-year-old Arizona resident Arthur Lundeen. New York Post reported.

Lundeen was arrested after American Airlines Flight 618, en route from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport in Texas to Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, was diverted to Baltimore due to a disturbance involving a passenger.

Maryland Transportation Authority police identified Lundeen as the man at the center of the Sept. 3 incident. Videos of passengers and crew restraining him, as well as photographs of him secured to his seat, were later widely circulated online.

What happened on the flight?

The disturbance reportedly began about two hours after the plane took off. Investigators and passengers said Lundin became increasingly aggressive, shouting profanities and racial and anti-LGBT slurs.

He is also accused of using racial slurs at a flight attendant who tried to intervene.

Soon after this, the situation became threatening. Lundin was accused of hitting the passenger sitting next to him and damaging his computer. They also pushed a woman who tried to intervene.

Passengers and crew held Lunding

As the confrontation escalated, cabin crew and fellow passengers intervened to prevent the situation from escalating further.

Lundin’s hands were originally held together with zippers. Duct tape was then used to keep him in his seat for the rest of the flight.

The pilot subsequently diverted the aircraft to Baltimore/Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport. Police boarded the plane after it landed and took Lundin into custody.

Passengers recall riots

Juan Medjia, a former law enforcement officer who was on the flight, said ABC News that he learned about anxiety during the last part of the journey.

Mejia said Lundeen was sitting two rows behind him and became “belligerent.” He was reportedly heard using profanity and racial slurs, including remarks directed at flight crew members.

Mejia and fellow passenger Richard Olenick reportedly intervened after Lundeen allegedly became physically aggressive.

Who is Arthur Lundin?

Lundeen was identified as the passenger whose alleged behavior caused an American Airlines flight bound for New Jersey to be diverted to Baltimore. He was arrested after the plane landed.

Lundeen’s case is being heard in Anne Arundel County Circuit Court in Glen Burnie, according to the Maryland Court Case Search and Registration Portal.

Court records identify him as Arthur Lane Lundeen, a white male, 5 feet 10 inches tall, 160 pounds, with brown eyes.

Records list Lundeen as a resident of Tucson, Arizona. His date of birth is listed as August 17, 1959, making him 67 years old.

What charges are brought against Arthur Lundin?

Lundeen is charged with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct, which are both misdemeanors. On September 4 he was released on bail.

He waived his right to an attorney during his first appearance and is scheduled to return to court on Oct. 19, 2026, according to the Maryland Court Case Search and Registration Portal.