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Published January 20, 2024, 11:23 p.m. ET
A Ryanair flight from the UK to the Canary Islands had to be diverted to Portugal after a fight broke out between eight people mid-flight, according to reports.
A passenger was dragged off the plane and arrested as the plane landed in Faro after the group of drunken holidaymakers started a fight on the plane, according to a video obtained by The Chron.
Ryainair Flight 3511 from Luton Airport, London, to Lanzaaorte in the Canary Islands took off at around 8:15 a.m. and landed in Faro at around 10:50 a.m. – almost an hour earlier than it was scheduled to land in Arrecife, according to flight tracking website FlightAware .
Another passenger who recorded the commotion told The Chron that there was “a group of men who appeared to have been drinking and were harassing some female passengers.”
A Ryanair plane was forced to land in Portugal after a fight broke out on the plane. Portal
When the harassment began to get out of control, a flight attendant tried to intervene but was knocked over, the witness said.
The commotion prompted the captain to warn passengers over loudspeakers that “unacceptable behavior” would not be tolerated and threatened to land the plane in Portugal, the passenger said.
When the passengers refused to get off, they were told they would be landing 20 minutes later, the traveler told the outlet.
A man seen struggling on the plane initially got out voluntarily but stubbornly got back on. He was then forcibly removed by Portuguese authorities, put in a headlock and dragged from the plane, a video shows.
Other passengers can be heard cheering on the police as the man wrestles with the police.
“Bye, buddy!” According to the clip, a man could be heard screaming.
“Well done!” shouts another woman.
A man has been arrested by the Portuguese authorities. Belga/AFP via Getty Images
In a separate video, the man was filmed being pushed into a police car, the publication reported.
Portugal's public security police confirmed they were called to deal with the “presence of eight disorderly passengers,” Portugal Resident reported.
Officers said they observed passengers “repeatedly screaming and banging on cabin overhead bins,” as well as “drinking alcoholic beverages and disobeying flight crew instructions.”
“One of the unruly passengers … became hostile, refused to leave and repeatedly disregarded instructions given to him,” police said.
The officers said they were forced to “use physical force due to his constant presence.”
The plane left Faro at 11:50 a.m. and finally landed at its intended destination at 1:20 p.m., flight records show.
The Post has contacted Ryanair for comment.
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