British Airways: A British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Austin, Texas, was delayed for over two hours after an altercation erupted between two American women over a red “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) hat. The unusual incident occurred Monday afternoon at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, as passengers waited to board the flight.

The two women, reported to be in their 40s and 60s, began arguing when one demanded that the other remove her MAGA cap—an item often associated with former U.S. President Donald Trump’s supporters. When the woman wearing the hat refused, tensions escalated, and a physical confrontation broke out, shocking fellow travelers and sparking chaos in the waiting area.

Once the women boarded and took their seats in the Premium Economy section, the argument flared again, prompting British Airways’ flight crew to alert authorities. Fearing the risk of a “full-scale punch-up at 30,000 feet,” the captain made the decision to remove both passengers from the flight before takeoff, British Airways sources told The Sun.

Metropolitan Police officers arrived at the scene and escorted the women off the plane, where they reportedly continued to exchange profanities. Both women made allegations of affray but were not arrested, according to a police spokesperson, and “enquiries are ongoing.”

The contentious MAGA hats, sold on Donald Trump’s website, have frequently sparked debates in the U.S., especially as tensions rise ahead of the upcoming presidential election. British Airways, which has no record of a previous delay due to a passenger’s hat, acknowledged the disruption and issued a statement apologizing to customers for the delay. “We apologized to our customers for the unusual delay and got them on the way as quickly as possible,” a British Airways spokesperson stated.

Passengers onboard finally departed for Texas without the two women, concluding an unexpected episode that underscored the rising political tensions even beyond U.S. borders.