This marks the instance passengers on a Jet2 aircraft broke into cheers as police apprehended a man following a disagreement with fellow passengers, causing the flight to Alicante to return to the UK.
The incident happened on a Jet2 flight which had taken off as normal at 6.41pm last night to fly 1,100 miles to the Spanish resort of Alicante.
The Boeing 737 had barely traveled 100 miles from Leeds Bradford to Leicester when the pilot indicated a return due to ‘disruptive behavior on board’.
The individual, dressed in an orange T-shirt and jeans, was escorted by police after the incident on the plane destined for Costa Blanca, which resulted in a four-hour delay for approximately 188 other travelers.
The plane safely touched back down at Leeds airport where it had taken off from just 40 minutes earlier.
Footage captured by passengers revealed a man standing in the aisle, appearing to argue with others, including a woman who stood several rows away after the aircraft halted.
The man can be seen smirking as he stood in the aisle and told another passenger: ‘Put your phone down and fight one on one.’
At this moment, passengers on a Jet2 flight applauded as police apprehended a man following a dispute onboard that led to the flight to Alicante being redirected to the UK.
The man provoked them by sticking his tongue out and thumping his chest, as another passenger advised: ‘Don’t engage. Let him be escorted off.’
Another clip taken through a window of the plane showed the man talking to three officers on the tarmac as one appeared to search him
As the man he was shouting at stood up to confront him, another chimed in and said: ‘You’ll get kicked off as well’.
The man taunted them by sticking his tongue out and beating his chest, as someone else on the plane shouted: ‘Don’t rise to it. Let him get chucked off.’
Police officers are then seen boarding the aircraft with passengers laughing as they said: ‘Look behind ya, lad! Look behind ya, big boy! You w****r!’
The rowdy man’s smug grin was quickly wiped off his face when he saw the cops coming towards him.
He is seen pointing and shouting at the officers, before quickly making a beeline for one of the men he was arguing with and appearing to square up to him, prompting people to shout: ‘Arrest him now!’.
The entire flight burst into cheers and applause as the man was finally detained and escorted off of the plane, with one yelling: ‘In a bit, lad!’.
Another clip taken through a window of the plane showed the man talking to three officers on the tarmac as one appeared to search him.
The entire flight burst into cheers and applause as the man was finally detained and escorted off of the plane, with one yelling: ‘In a bit, lad!’
The plane was forced to stay on the ground until it eventually took off again at 11.10pm, more than four hours after its scheduled departure time
A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson has confirmed a 30-year-old man from Doncaster has been charged with entering an aircraft while drunk.
He has been bailed to appear before Leeds magistrates on Monday, September 8.
Jet2 is said to have sent passengers a message, saying: ‘We are sorry that flight LS491 Leeds Bradford to Alicante has diverted to Leeds Bradford due to a disruptive incident on board.
‘We are working on the situation and will update you shortly. This is an unscheduled change, so we’re doing everything we can to minimise any disruption to your onward journey. Thanks for your understanding and patience.’
The plane was forced to stay on the ground until it eventually took off again at 11.10pm, more than four hours after its scheduled departure time.
A West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said: ‘At 7.12pm yesterday, police were made aware of a flight which had been diverted from Birmingham to Leeds Bradford Airport due to a disturbance involving a passenger.
‘Officers attended and boarded the plane on its arrival at the airport. A man was arrested on suspicion of an offence under the Aviation Security Act 1982.’
A Jet2 spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm that a disruptive passenger has received a six-month flying ban with us, following their appalling behaviour which led to flight LS491 from Leeds Bradford to Alicante having to return to Leeds Bradford so that police could offload them.
‘As a family friendly airline, we take a zero-tolerance approach to disruptive passenger behaviour.’
Disruptive plane passengers risk large fines and the threat of possible criminal charges or even a prison sentence.
The aviation watchdog, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), says disruptive passengers could be made to pay the cost of diverting a plane, which could easily exceed £10,000.
