A Ryanair flight from the UK to Tenerife was forced to make an emergency landing due to a “conflictive” passenger who caused problems for the crew.
Officers as well as medical professionals met the rowdy passenger on the tarmac at Santiago de Compostela, on the Spanish mainland, according to air traffic control.
Prior to the diversion, the crew tried to calm the passenger but were unable to subdue them, deciding to initiate an emergency landing.
The controllers confirmed online: “The crew of a flight from Liverpool to Tenerife south have contacted us about a conflictive passenger on board and have had to divert to Santiago de Compostela.”
Police then swarmed the Ryanair Boeing 737 to deal with the rowdy holidaymaker, who was escorted off the plane.
The aircraft was then able to take off again and continue its journey to its original destination of Tenerife.
It is not known yet if any arrests have been made.
A spokesperson from Ryanair told Metro.co.uk: “This flight from Liverpool to Tenerife (July 4) diverted to Santiago after a passenger became disruptive onboard. Crew called ahead for police assistance and the aircraft was met by local police upon arrival who removed this passenger before this flight continued to Tenerife.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
“This is now a matter for local police.”
The airline is no stranger to unruly passengers causing havoc on Spain-bound flights.
In May, a group of “drunk” Britons travelling to Tenerife were removed from a Ryanair flight after being accused of sneaking in alcohol and “engaging in sexual activity”.
While aboard the FR4346 flight on May 16, members of the group, which comprised of three males and two females, were said to have opened their duty free alcohol and drank from the bottle shortly after the plane took off at 4.05pm.
Ryanair crew members were forced to confront the passengers, who had been told to mind their language and sit down, however, their pleas were ignored.
The plane was originally scheduled to land in Tenerife
PA
The pilot allegedly spoke to passengers through the tannoy to inform the “drunk” group that they risked grounding the flight in Lisbon, Portugal, and getting evicted from the plane.
However, it was later reported that the passengers were engaging in inappropriate sexual behaviour despite the presence of children on the plane. After landing, the rowdy Britons were removed from the flight.
Back in February, a huge brawl broke out on a Ryanair flight from Edinburgh to Tenerife, forcing the aircraft to land in Portugal instead.
During the fight, passengers hurled both insults and bottles at one another, with “powerless” cabin crew stepping in to try and save them. Frightened children onboard flight FR2969 were reportedly “in tears” over the ordeal.
The unruly group were removed upon landing in Porto and the aircraft was able to continue its journey to Tenerife two hours behind schedule. One passenger called the “out of control” trip the “worst flight of my life”.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
