Woman ‘Violently Assaulted’ By Airline Employee For Asking Question, Suit Alleges

An OpenSkies — British Airways' new premium affiliate — airplane taxis at JFK Airport. AP Photo/Jin Lee).

By Christina Carrega

A Roslyn, Long Island woman was slugged by a British Airways employee for simply asking a question, according to a lawsuit filed in Queens Civil Supreme Court.

Agnieszka Machowski was anxiously waiting for her parents to arrive at Kennedy Airport on Jan. 6 from Poland after bad weather caused their flight to be delayed the day before.

As Machowski stood by the baggage claim in Terminal 7 at around 2:30 p.m., she “respectfully and politely” asked a female agent with British Airways for the status of her parents’ flight.

Without warning, the unidentified employee turned to Machowski and “violently assaulted her striking her repeatedly with her hands and fists about the face, head, and body,” according to the lawsuit.

After the alleged attack, the employee “refused to give her name” to Machowski.

Nonetheless, Machowski was able to identify her assailant “through photographs and video taken immediately as said person ran” from the scene, according to the lawsuit.

Spokesmen from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and British Airways declined to comment on the pending litigation.

Machowski’s attorney Patrick O’Brien, of Long Island City, did not respond to the Eagle’s request for comment.