An Arizona real estate agent has lost his affiliation with a Tucson company after being arrested following an alleged disturbance aboard an American Airlines flight, as reported by The New York Post.
Arthur Layne Lundeen, 67, was identified as the passenger involved in the incident on American Airlines Flight 618 Thursday night.
Lundeen was traveling from Dallas to Newark when the flight was diverted to Baltimore because of what the airline described as a “disruptive customer.”
Arthur Lundeen, flying from Fort Worth to Newark, launched into a mid-air outburst. He screamed racial and anti-gay slurs, choked and assaulted the passenger beside him, damaged the man’s laptop, insulted flight attendants, shoved a woman who tried to intervene, and bit another… pic.twitter.com/xjk4lv27f8
— Mike Bales (@MikeBales) September 6, 2026
Long Realty, a Tucson-based real estate company, said Sunday that it had ended its relationship with Lundeen after learning about the criminal charges stemming from the incident.
“Long Realty is aware of reports concerning criminal charges filed against a former affiliated real estate agent arising from an incident that allegedly occurred during a commercial flight,” the company said in a statement posted on Facebook.
“Upon learning of the incident, Long Realty promptly ended its affiliation with the individual. The individual is no longer associated with or authorized to represent Long Realty in any capacity,” the company said.
The company also addressed the conduct described in reports about the flight.
“The conduct described in the reports is wholly inconsistent with the professionalism, integrity, compassion, and respect for others that Long Realty expects from those affiliated with the company.”
The statement continued: “We expect those associated with our company to uphold those values, and we have no tolerance for conduct that so clearly falls short of those expectations. Our thoughts are with the passengers, crew members, and others affected by this incident.”
Lundeen’s LinkedIn profile identified him as a vice president at Long Realty in Tucson. His profile was subsequently removed from the company’s website.
According to reports, Lundeen allegedly became disruptive near the end of the flight, directing racial slurs, vulgar language, and anti-gay insults toward flight personnel and other passengers.
Juan Mejia, a traveler aboard the aircraft and a former law enforcement officer, told ABC News that he and his friend Richard Olenick heard Lundeen becoming “belligerent” while sitting two rows ahead of him.
“[The] gentleman sitting two rows behind us started becoming belligerent, making derogatory remarks to the staff of American Airlines and other passengers, racial slurs, vulgar language, very offensive to the women” sitting in the row behind Lundeen, Mejia said.
Olenick said Mejia immediately moved toward Lundeen to help keep the situation under control.
Olenick said Mejia “got up right away and jumped in the seat right next to the passenger and began working on restraining him in order to keep the situation contained.”
The man who had to be duct-taped to his seat on an American Airlines flight now has a name: Layne Arthur Lundeen, a 46-year-old Tucson realtor.
Flight 618 from Dallas to Newark got so out of control Thursday that the plane was diverted to Baltimore.
Passengers say he was… https://t.co/RjRRI3hF0w
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) September 6, 2026
The passenger was restrained until authorities could take custody of him after the aircraft landed in Baltimore.
American Airlines told the New York Post that the flight was diverted because of a “disruptive customer.”
Lundeen was removed from the aircraft and arrested after landing, allowing the remaining passengers to continue their trip to Newark.
The FBI confirmed that Lundeen was arrested by Maryland Transportation Police.
Lundeen was subsequently charged at the state level with second-degree assault and disorderly conduct, according to court records.
The incident could also result in federal charges. The FBI said it was continuing to investigate what happened aboard the aircraft before deciding whether additional charges would be pursued.
“The FBI is currently conducting interviews to gather the facts and will consult with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland to determine if federal charges will be filed,” the bureau said.
The episode has also drawn attention because of Lundeen’s professional background. Before the incident, he was affiliated with Long Realty, where his LinkedIn profile listed him as a vice president.
The company has now made clear that Lundeen no longer represents the firm in any capacity.
The flight’s diversion to Baltimore added another disruption for passengers traveling between Dallas and Newark.
Instead of continuing directly to Newark, the aircraft had to land in Maryland so authorities could remove and arrest Lundeen.
The case remains pending, and the allegations against Lundeen have not been proven in court. His arrest and the state charges do not by themselves establish guilt.
For Long Realty, however, the decision was immediate.
The company ended its affiliation with Lundeen after learning about the incident and said the behavior described in reports did not meet the standards it expects from people associated with its business.
