US News

Unruly passenger takes swing at Mitt Romney on flight

BOSTON — A spokesman for Mitt Romney says the former Republican presidential candidate was threatened by an unruly airline passenger on a flight out of Vancouver.

Spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom says Romney and his wife were on an Air Canada flight to Los Angeles on Monday when Romney asked the passenger sitting in front of his wife, Ann, to raise his seat back before take off.

Fehrnstrom says the passenger then became enraged and took a swing at Romney. He says the former Massachusetts governor did not retaliate, but let the airline crew respond.

The plane returned to the gate, the passenger was removed and the flight took off a short time later.

The Romneys had been in British Columbia since Friday to watch the opening of the Olympic Winter Games.