Delta Air Lines is facing a potential lawsuit after a passenger alleged that a flight attendant physically assaulted him during a flight in July 2025. The complaint, drafted by personal injury firm CEO Lawyer and posted on Instagram, claims the passenger was slapped across the face after a disagreement with crew members. The incident has sparked controversy over in-flight conduct, the rights of passengers, and flight attendant training standards.
Allegedly, the altercation began after the passenger raised concerns about service and interactions with the cabin crew. What started as a verbal disagreement allegedly escalated into a physical confrontation. This is exceedingly rare in air travel and would be a shocking violation of airline protocols if proven to be true.
Breakdown Of The Incident
Photo: Markus Mainka | Shutterstock
On July 29, 2025, Mohammed Shibli was traveling with his wife and two children from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport to Fresno to attend a relative’s wedding. Reportedly, the family had attempted to obtain water for their two-year-old son, but were initially denied as the beverage cart had not reached their row. Later, another flight attendant provided the drink.
The incident becomes slightly stranger as, allegedly, the first flight attendant repeatedly asked the family for their drink option after arriving at their row, and the two began having an argument. They then exchanged vulgar words, Shibli stood up, and the flight attendant slapped him in the face. Eyewitness accounts that were reported on Yahoo News and the Independent confirm that it was the flight attendant who slapped Mohammed Shibli.
It’s been noted that Shibli is a Palestinian Muslim and that his wife was wearing a Palestine shirt on the flight. However, the exact exchange between Shibli and the flight attendant is not known, so it’s unclear the full role race or ethnic background played in this incident. Reportedly, another passenger heard the flight attendant say, “you don’t get to call me that” after striking him.
The Aftermath Of The Incident
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
Shibli reported being threatened with arrest by the flight attendant during beverage service. However, it would end up being the flight attendant who was questioned by law enforcement after the flight, though it does not appear that she was arrested. Delta Air Lines has suspended the employee pending a further investigation into the incident.
Based on the released details, it’s likely that this incident occurred towards the beginning of the flight, and Shibli reported feeling “helpless” and “humiliated” in front of his family, especially as the flight lasted nearly four additional hours. The rest of the flight proceeded without incident, and Mohammed Shibli is looking to file a lawsuit against Delta with CEO Lawyer in Atlanta.
Flight Number
Origin
Destination
Aircraft Type
Departure
Arrival
Scheduled Duration
DL 561
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Georgia
Fresno Yosemite International Airport, California
Boeing 737-800
19:17
20:59
4h 42m
The firm is demanding sensitivity training on Palestine for all Delta employees, along with one day of Delta’s profits (estimated at roughly $20 million). If Delta doesn’t agree to these terms, the firm threatens to file the lawsuit. While some details have yet to be revealed, what’s clear is that the flight attendant’s actions, if they were as described, are completely unacceptable, no matter the circumstance.
Challenges And Implications For Flight Attendants
Photo: Robin Guess | Shutterstock
The lawsuit raises questions about how airlines prepare and support their crews for high-pressure situations. Flight attendants are often the first line of defense against disruptions, tasked with maintaining order while balancing safety and service. It’s a stressful position, and while physical violence is never ok in any circumstance, this incident will certainly prompt a review into the resources and training that cabin crew receive.
The lawsuit alleges that the incident occurred due to the passengers being Palestinian. While it’s difficult to independently verify what exactly caused the altercation, Delta has been involved in controversy regarding Palestine in the past. In 2024, Delta posted a reply to an X post that referred to Palestinian flag pins as “Hamas badges.” The reply was later taken down, and Delta was accused of supporting anti-Palestinian bigotry.
The Gaza War has been one of the most controversial political issues in the United States in recent years. Airlines are generally looking to stay away from any associations with the war, but incidents such as these can negatively tarnish an airline’s brand (in this case, Delta), not just due to the violence, but also due to the association with anti-Palestinian racism. As such, Delta will look to keep this incident as quiet as possible and take internal measures to prevent a repeat.
The Airbus A330-800neo is one of two variants in the Airbus A330neo family, with the other being the A330-900neo. The A330neo is an upgrade over the original A330 variants, with new engines, updated wingtips, interior improvements, and software upgrades. The A330-900, directly succeeding the A330-300, has proven effective and has even found love in the United Statesat Delta Air Lines. Contrastingly, the A330-800 has been shunned in the US.
In some ways, you can consider the start of the A330neo to be the original A350 program. To compete against the Boeing 787, Airbus took the A330 family and added new engines along with a carbon-composite wing and a new cockpit. Airlines largely rejected the concept, prompting Airbus to create a clean-sheet aircraft, the A350 XWB, and move up in size. The A330neo was developed in the 2010s to slot underneath the A350 in price and capability.
The Airlines That Don’t Want The Airbus A330-800
Photo: Dirk Daniel Mann | Shutterstock
The A330-800 is Airbus’s smallest widebody, and given that the US is home to more Boeing 767s (a similarly-sized twinjet) than any other nation in the world, you’d expect the European manufacturer to make significant efforts to sell this jet here. However, Airbus hasn’t sold a single A330-800to a US airline. This is especially surprising considering that the prior A330-200 has been reasonably successful in the country, being operated by Delta, Hawaiian, and, previously, American Airlines.
United Airlines currently flies 53 aging Boeing 767s, but has committed to the 787 to replace these planes. Hawaiian Airlines, a current A330-200 operator, ordered Boeing 787-9s to replace its Airbus widebodies, although these planes are now slated to remain in service while the Dreamliners get transferred to Alaska Airlines. For American Airlines, meanwhile, its 767 and A330 fleets were fully retired during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the 787 serving as their replacement.
Only four airlines in the US operate passenger widebodies in scheduled service, and by and large, they have opted for the similarly sized Boeing 787. This is despite the fact that these planes are replacing the Boeing 767 or Airbus A330, which are optimized for medium-haul routes, similar to the Airbus A330neo. Notably, Hawaiian Airlines formerly held orders for six Airbus A330-800s, but cancelled them in favor of the Dreamliners.
Why Delta Air Lines Isn’t Buying Them
Photo: Minh K Tran | Shutterstock
Delta Air Lines is the largest operator of the Airbus A330-900 in the world and the largest operator of the A330 series as a whole. It operates 11 A330-200s, 31 A330-300s, and 37 A330-900s with two more on order, but has never ordered the A330-800, and has not announced plans to obtain more A330neos. What’s surprising is that the A330-900s were slated to partially replace the Boeing 767-300ER fleet, an aircraft significantly smaller than the A330-900.
You’d expect Delta to replace these aircraft with the A330-800, given that it would be far closer in size to the 767. However, going with the larger A330-900 instead was a conscious choice. Delta is looking to upgauge its entire network, replacing A320s and 737s with A321neos and 737 MAX 10s, while 767s are to be replaced with larger widebodies. Delta is looking to lower per-seat economics, and larger aircraft variants are cheaper to operate per-seat than smaller variants.
Aircraft Types In Service With Delta
Aircraft Types On Order By Delta
Airbus A220-100
Airbus A220-300
Airbus A220-300
Airbus A321neo
Airbus A319-100
Airbus A330-900
Airbus A320-200
Airbus A350-900
Airbus A321-200
Airbus A350-1000
Airbus A321neo
Boeing 737 MAX 10
Airbus A330-200
Airbus A330-300
Airbus A330-900
Airbus A350-900
Boeing 717-200
Boeing 737-800
Boeing 737-900ER
Boeing 757-200
Boeing 757-300
Boeing 767-300ER
Boeing 767-400ER
Delta only has two A330-900s left on order. It’s expected that at least part of its remaining A350 order will displace existing A330-900s that can replace the remaining 767-300ERs, which would again be a system-wide upgauge. Meanwhile, it’s been heavily speculated that the Atlanta-based carrier is looking to order Boeing 787-10s. With a possible delivery date in the early 2030s, these could replace older A330s and the Boeing 767-400ER, while also being a significant upgauge over both types.
Why The Airbus A330-800 Is Not Selling
Photo: Markus Mainka I Shutterstock
In the US, Delta is looking to upgauge its entire network, while other carriers are focusing on the Boeing 787. However, the A330-800 has also sold poorly around the world, with only eight total orders, while the A330-900 has received nearly 440. Seven have already been delivered: four to Kuwait Airways, two to Uganda Airlines, and one to Air Greenland. One more example is reported to have been ordered in an executive configuration.
The A330-800 is a direct replacement for the Airbus A330-200, which, in Delta’s premium-heavy configuration, seats 223 passengers. At the other end of the spectrum, Hawaiian’s leisure-focused A330-200s seat 278. With the new winglets and more efficient Rolls-Royce Trent 7000, the A330-800 now has a range of 8,100 NM (15,000 km) at a Maximum Takeoff Weight of 251 tonnes, and this is the issue.
The A330-200 that the A330-800 is based on was developed as a shrink of the original A330-300 (replaced by the A330-900). As such, the A330-200/800 is more expensive to operate per-seat than its larger counterparts. In the past, the A330-200 sold due to its additional range, but as the A330-300 grew more capable, sales for the A330-200 dried up. With the A330-900 now having up to 7,350 NM (13,600 km) of range, almost no airline is willing to sacrifice economics for the extra miles.
The Decline Of Short-Fuselage Variants
Photo: Wirestock Creators | Shutterstock
In airliner design, manufacturers typically create the base design (Airbus A320, Boeing 757-200, Airbus A330-300, Boeing 777-200), then they will either shrink the fuselage (Airbus A319, Airbus A330-200) or stretch the fuselage (Boeing 757-300, Boeing 777-300). Shrinking typically results in a more capable plane with higher per-seat costs, while a stretched variant boasts the best per-seat costs but also has less range.
Manufacturers don’t always develop their aircraft in this manner (both Airbus A350 variants are optimized for their size), but this is typically how commercial aircraft are designed. This approach generally proved successful, as the A330-200 made up 46% of passenger A330ceo sales, while the A319, A320, and A321 were all popular. For first-generation A320 variants, only the A318 was a sales flop, with this variant being a shrink of a shrink.
Today, however, the A330-800 is far from the only reengined shrink that’s been unpopular. The A319neo has only received 57 orders, while slightly over 300 orders have been received for the Boeing 737 MAX 7. The 777-8’s development has been paused, and even sales for the Boeing 787-8 have slowed down dramatically. As the larger version of an airliner becomes more capable, such as during a re-engine program, demand for the shrink disappears.
Why Airbus Doesn’t Care About Selling A330-800s
Photo: EA Photography | Shutterstock
From a manufacturer’s position, a shrink allows you to capture a broader segment of the market by addressing the shortcomings of the original model. However, such jets are priced lower than a larger model, but cost practically the same to produce, thereby generating lower profit margins. Manufacturers prefer to sell larger variants whenever possible, as they generate the highest profits.
When significant demand exists for a smaller aircraft that is more capable, manufacturers will price it competitively. The sale price is a significant component in whether an airliner wins an order, and, as such, selling an A330-200 may have yielded lower profits than an A330-300 in the past, but this was still preferable over losing an order to the Boeing 767.
With the A330-800, however, airlines aren’t lining up to buy it, and Airbus spent little on developing it. The A330-900 captures nearly all of the market, and this variant generates higher profit margins. As such, Airbus is incentivized to price the A330-900 competitively, while the A330-800 has low demand and generates lower profits, so Airbus likely budges little on pricing. This lowers demand for the A330-800 even further, but Airbus would still rather sell more A330-900s.
The Bottom Line
The Airbus A330-800 has been sold to three airlines. This is the only widebody in Air Greenland’s fleet and is used for flights to Copenhagen, directly replacing an Airbus A330-200. For Kuwait Airways and Uganda Airlines, the type serves as a small, efficient, cheap widebody that has incredible capability. Kuwait Airways also operates the A330-900, making it easier for the airline to integrate it into the fleet.
While the A330-800 has so far proven a sales dud, Airbus is not focused on the variant’s individual orderbook. Rather, Airbus aims to make money on the A330neo program as a whole, and selling more A330-900s appears to be a winning strategy for the European planemaker. As such, the A330-800 will likely go down as one of the industry’s rarest birds, similar to other reengined shrinks like the Airbus A319neo.
Digitizing maintenance and other aircraft records would help streamline MRO visits and transactions, such as lease transfers.
Credit: Chris Rank/Airbus
Years from now, when seamless digital record transfers are as routine as clouds in the sky, many will cite the AOG Technics fraud in 2023 as the event that sparked a fundamental shift in how aviation keeps tabs on aircraft assets. They will be right—sort of. AOG Technics, a London-based company that…
Senior Air Transport & Safety Editor Sean Broderick covers aviation safety, MRO, and the airline business from Aviation Week Network’s Washington, D.C. office.
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Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
Delta Air Lines
