Spirit Airlines shares fall amid reports of fights, delayed fights

US budget carrier Spirit Airlines’ shares are stalling amid reports of passenger brawls following flight cancellations at a Florida airport.

The airline’s shares were down 4.6 per cent midday on Tuesday, following widely shared social media video of chaos breaking out at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport on Monday night. Reuters reported that the carrier, which is in a dispute with its pilots, had cancelled several flights, stranding numerous passengers.

If the decline holds, it will be the largest one-day drop since January 27, according to Bloomberg data.

It’s the latest sign of increasing friction between airlines and their passengers, following an incident last month that saw a passenger being dragged off of a crowded United Continental flight. At a subsequent congressional hearing, some US lawmakers said they would weigh legislation to safeguard the rights of airline passengers.

Spirit did not immediately return a request for comment.