The Ryanair flight had to diverted to France because a drunk yob attempted to open the plane door mid flight before fighting with fellow passengers several times
A drunk British stag reveller could now be facing a lengthy prison sentence after attempting to open a plane door midway through the flight. The yob and the rest of his party was seen starting fights with other passengers and the cabin crew before being arrested.
The incident resulted in the pilot having to divert the plane – which had been bound for Alicante, Spain – to France so authorities could apprehend the man and haul him off the aircraft. Eyewitnesses said the man was obviously under the influence, which was later confirmed by police.
As a result of the fighting, the man could now be heading to prison for five years for his drunken antics. Investigations have now been launched into the brawls, according to cops.
The Sun reported that the mayhem began shortly after the Ryanair flight took off from London ‘s Luton Airport on Friday (September 26). According to reports, the man had a number of drinks before he headed on the plane, and was allocated a seat next to an emergency door, which he tried to open when the plane was in the air.
France’s Border Police said: “It was terrifying for everybody else on the flight. The pilot had no other option except to land the plane.”
After around an hour, the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing at Toulouse Airport, where he and the rest of the stag party were taken off the plane. In total, five people were arrested by police but it is unclear whether the other members of the stag party will face charges.
Police added that when they apprehended the man, they took a reading of his blood alcohol content level. They added it was so high that it took a “number of hours” for him to sober up and be properly spoken to by officers.
The flight was grounded in Toulouse Airport for some time before being cleared for take-off to Alicante just after 10:15pm local time. Dramatic footage showed the men being taken off the aircraft by police.
Videos of the incident show the first two members of the group being quietly escorted into the airport before the remaining three protest. Shouting “No, no, no, no – no f*****g way!”, the man tries to escape the police by clambering onto the seat and then fighting with the officers.
Eyewitnesses said that before take-off, they had seen the men could “barely stand up” when they got on the plane. As the men are removed, they continued to launch a tirade of abuse at other passengers who were filming what was happening.
In France, the maximum punishment for “endangering the safety of an aircraft” is five years in prison, as well as a fine worth around £60,000. This is the same as in the UK, while anyone charged with being “drunk on a plane” in either country can face a two-year prison stint plus a fine of around £4,000.
In a statement, French border police commander Ludovic Fornari commended the “extreme professionalism” of the force, as well as other members of the French forces, who had “cooperated” during the incident. In its own statement, Ryanair said the matter was now being dealt with by local police.
“This flight from London Luton to Alicante (September 26) diverted to Toulouse after a small group of passengers became disruptive onboard. Crew called ahead for police assistance, who met the aircraft upon landing at Toulouse Airport and offloaded the troublesome passengers before this flight continued to Alicante.
“Ryanair has a strict zero tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct and will continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour, ensuring that all passengers and crew travel in a respectful and stress-free environment, without unnecessary disruption,” they added. “This is now a matter for local police.”
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