2 men arrested in Nashville for not wearing masks on flights

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Two men were arrested at the Nashville International Airport for refusing to wear face masks aboard their flights, police said.

Artur Grigoryan didn't wear a mask on an American Airlines flight and was arrested early Tuesday morning, WKRN-TV reported. The flight was delayed and Grigoryan was removed from the plane.

Officers had received a call Monday night about the 33-year-old refusing to wear a mask on a Spirit Airlines flight and calling the crew "vulgar names." He won't be allowed to fly with the airline in the future.

Grigoryan was also caught stealing from an airport coffee shop while waiting to board the American Airlines flight, police said. The shop owner decided not to prosecute him for theft.

Airport police arrested James Swafford, 24, later Tuesday morning in a separate incident. He refused to wear a mask on a Southwest Airlines flight to Washington, D.C., according to a warrant.

Investigators said he caused a disturbance by becoming aggressive toward officers and using profanity in front of other passengers. The pilot turned the plane around and Swafford was removed.

Both men were charged with disorderly conduct and had bail set at $1,000. It wasn't immediately clear if they had attorneys who could comment.

More than 2,800 mask-related unruly passenger incidents aboard flights have been reported this year as of Aug. 16, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.

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