2 women removed from British Airways flight after altercation because of 'Make America Great Again' cap

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - A British Airways flight from London to the US had a two-hour delay following an "extraordinary" altercation between two female passengers because of a "Make America Great Again," or MAGA, hat, according to the Guardian newspaper.

The fight erupted Saturday as the two women, aged 40 and 60, boarded Flight BA191 at Terminal 5 that was headed to Austin, Texas, the newspaper said Wednesday.

Witnesses said one woman took offense to the MAGA cap worn by her fellow passenger and requested that it be removed. MAGA is a symbol associated with former US President Donald Trump.

The seemingly minor confrontation escalated quickly, leading to a physical exchange between the women, both of whom had premium economy tickets for the transatlantic flight.

British Airways cabin crew and ground personnel responded swiftly to de-escalate the situation.

The argument intensified with alleged punches thrown, however, the captain of the plane called for police assistance.

Officers arrived and removed both passengers from the aircraft, after which the plane was able to depart at 2.11 p.m. local time, approximately two hours later than scheduled.

A British Airways spokesperson expressed regret for the inconvenience.