Florida Airport Chaos: Pilots Dispute Causes Numerous Cancelations

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL – Anarchy flared at a Florida airport after numerous Spirit Airlines flights were canceled, leading to long lines, irate customers and brawls, according to police. Deputies were called to the Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport to suppress the chaos Monday as passengers became highly irritated, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office.

"There were several people there that were upset," the department's spokeswoman Gina Carter told ABC News on Monday. "We were called in to just make sure that things were kept from getting very unruly."

The cancelations were the result of a labor dispute between Spirit Airlines and the Air Line Pilots Association, International. Pilots are arguing for better contracts, which they say are currently below industry standards.

Spirit Airlines Monday filed a federal lawsuit against the ALPA in the South District of Florida, saying the pilots' actions is a "pervasive illegal work slowdown" and causing "irreparable harm to [Spirit's] goodwill with its customers."

Some 300 flights have been canceled due to the disruption since the beginning of May, according to the lawsuit, which also claimed 81 flights were canceled on Sunday. Twenty-eight more were canceled by Tuesday morning.

"This slowdown is in direct violation of the [Railway Labor Act], which prohibits work slowdowns and strikes during collective bargaining negotiations, as expressly recognized by a series of court decisions, including by this Circuit in Delta Air Lines v. Air Line Pilots Association, International," the lawsuit states.

Spirit spokesman Paul Berry said in a statement said the airline is "shocked and saddened" by the what took place in the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

"This is a result of unlawful labor activity by some Spirit pilots designed to disrupt Spirit operations for our customers, by canceling multiple flights across our network," Berry said. "These pilots have put their quest for a new contract ahead of getting customers to their destinations and the safety of their fellow Spirit Team Members."

Photo: Lynne Sladky, Associated Press