American Airlines announced that its plane, headed from Miami to London, turned back in the middle of the flight on Thursday evening, due to the refusal of one of its passengers to wear a protective mask against the Corona virus.

The airline said, "American Airlines Flight 38 from Miami to London returned to Miami International Airport due to a passenger's refusal to comply with the Federal Police by wearing a mask."

Police were waiting when the Boeing 777, carrying 129 passengers and 14 crew members, landed in Miami.

A police official told CNN that the police escorted the aforementioned passenger as he got off the plane without incident.

The airline will put the passenger on the company's list of people prohibited from traveling on its (European) planes

And "American Airlines" indicated that it is awaiting further investigation, and put the passenger on the company's list of people prohibited from traveling.

And the US Federal Aviation Administration said - in January 2021 - that it will adhere to a zero-tolerance policy towards people who reject the federal rules that require the wearing of a muzzle during American domestic flights.

This comes as cabin crew members report an increasing number of verbal and physical abuse incidents from passengers who refuse to wear a mask.

The Corona virus has caused the death of at least 5,563,359 people in the world since it appeared in China in December 2019, according to official sources.

The United States recorded the highest number of deaths from the virus, with 857,778 cases, followed by Brazil (621,855), India (487,693) and Russia (more than 324,000).

The World Health Organization estimates that the total number of deaths may be 2-3 times higher, taking into account the excess number of deaths associated with the epidemic.