A Ryanair flight travelling from London to the Canary Islands was forced to make an emergency landing in Faro, Portugal, after a mid-air altercation involving eight passengers.
A video, shared on social media, shows one of the ‘unruly’ passengers being dragged off the plane by officials upon landing in Portugal.
According to eyewitness accounts reported by The Daily Mail, a group of men, who seemed to be under the influence of alcohol, began harassing women passengers on the Ryanair flight.
According to the New York Post, an attempt by a flight attendant to intervene in the situation resulted in the crew member being knocked over. This led to the captain issuing a stern warning over the loudspeaker, stating that such “unacceptable behaviour” would result in the plane diverting to Portugal.
Despite the captain’s caution, the disruptive behaviour persisted, and the decision was made to land the aircraft. Upon landing, one man who refused to get off the plane was forcibly removed by Portuguese authorities.
The removal process was captured on video, showing the man being placed in a headlock by police as he was escorted off the aircraft.
A London-Canary Islands Ryanair flight travelling was forced to make an emergency landing in Faro, Portugal, after a mid-air altercation involving eight passengers.
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The Public Security Police of Portugal confirmed their intervention, noting that the passengers involved were shouting, striking overhead bins, consuming alcohol, and ignoring crew instructions, as per the New York Post. One passenger’s hostile demeanour led to his arrest for disobedience and resisting authority.
After resolving the disturbance, the flight resumed its journey, departing Faro at 11:50 a.m. and reaching its final destination in Arrecife at 1:20 p.m. Ryanair has yet to release an official statement regarding the incident.
