Chaos at Florida airport as police wrestle with angry passengers over cancelled flights

There was chaos overnight at a Florida airport as tensions boiled over following the cancellation of several flights.

Deputies were called to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale after passengers became angry, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office.

"There were several people there that were upset," sheriff's office spokeswoman Gina Carter told ABC News on Monday 8 May. "We were called in to just make sure that things were kept from getting very unruly."

Videos of the scene soon started to spread online as other passengers stood by and filmed the events.

Multiple Spirit Airlines flights were cancelled which led to long lines at check-in desks, frustrated customers and numerous altercations.

Carter said there were no injuries reported and things calmed down. She did not say if any arrests were made, but the footage showed at least three people being taken away in handcuffs by deputies.

It is the latest in a number of incidents involving airlines that have gone viral in recent weeks including a man being kicked off a flight for needing to use the bathroom.

One passenger, who was not named, told ABC News' Florida affiliate WSVN that they saw multiple people being detained. "I saw two people go down on the floor and get ... handcuffed and dragged out of here."

Another passenger said he saw officers apprehending a woman. "There was a lady [detained] earlier. She was quite upset and very vocal about her frustrations," he said. "I see people are very disappointed."

Spirit, a Florida-based discount airline, blamed the chaos on cancelled flights as a result of industrial negotiations with their pilots. "We are shocked and saddened to see the videos of what took place at Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport this evening," the company said in statement on Monday. "This is a result of unlawful labour activity by some Spirit pilots designed to disrupt Spirit operations for our customers, by cancelling multiple flights across our network."