A Southwest flight attendant loses two teeth after an altercation with a passenger. Union calls for more safeguards

Following a series of incidents aboard aircraft, including an assault that left a flight attendant with facial injuries and two missing teeth, the union representing Southwest Airlines' flight attendants is urging the company to take stronger steps to protect its members from an "epidemic of aggression and assault." "We are asking our carrier, the government and the flying public's help in ending this epidemic of aggression and assault. Flight attendants are first responders in the sky who are focused on safety. As people return to the skies, we are asking for everyone's help in complying with flight attendant requests to help ensure a safe and fun atmosphere for all," TWU Local 556 President Lyn Montgomery said. Montgomery said that there were 477 passenger misconduct incidents on Southwest aircraft between April 8 and May 15, in an open letter to CEO and Chairman Gary Kelly that was sent to union members and posted on its Facebook page. "This unprecedented number of incidents has reached an intolerable level, with passenger non-compliance events also becoming more aggressive in nature," she wrote. On Sunday, a Southwest passenger was arrested on suspicion of felony battery causing serious injury after she allegedly struck a flight attendant during a flight from Sacramento to San Diego, according to a statement from the Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department.<br/>