Southwest employee hospitalized after being assaulted by a female passenger

A female operating agent was “verbally and physically” assaulted by a female passenger when a flight from Dallas to La Guardia Airport in New York City boarded, Southwest told CNN in an email. The employee was transported to a local hospital and released Saturday night, according to the email. She is home and resting, the airline said.

“Southwest Airlines maintains a zero tolerance policy regarding any form of harassment or abuse and fully supports our employees in cooperating with local authorities regarding this unacceptable incident,” the email said.

Southwest said the passenger was taken into custody by local police. CNN has contacted the Dallas Police Department for more information, but has not heard back.

The incidents have ranged from shouting to spitting and physical quarrels with the airline’s employees.

In May this year, a passenger from Southwest Airlines who allegedly beat a flight attendant was fined more than $ 26,000, the FAA said.

The agency announced earlier this month that it had fined 10 violent air passengers a total of almost $ 250,000.

CNN’s Pete Muntean and Gregory Wallace contributed to this report.