An easyJet flight to Liverpool was forced to return to Tenerife just 30 minutes after takeoff following a violent brawl involving 10 passengers which broke out mid-flight.
Flight EZY3352 took off from Tenerife South Airport on the evening of Tuesday July 21 with 186 passengers on board. But half an hour into the trip, chaos broke out.
Air traffic control officials said a large group of passengers had been involved in a physical altercation, which forced the captain to make the critical decision to return to the Spanish island, citing “due to the danger” the violence “represented to the safety of the flight.”
When the plane landed at Tenerife South Airport on Tuesday evening, Spanish Civil Guard officers greeted it at the airport after the crew requested the presence of police officers. After the unruly passengers were evacuated, the plane flew to Liverpool.
While confirming the incident. easyJet said the plane “returned to the airport and was met by police due to disruptive behavior by a group of passengers.”
The airline highlighted its commitment to passenger safety: “Our cabin and ground staff are trained to assess all situations and act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other customers is not compromised at any time. »
“We take these incidents very seriously and do not tolerate any disruptive behavior towards our staff. The safety and well-being of customers and crew is always our top priority,” the airline added.
The air traffic controller also expressed solidarity with the crew, saying: “Our full support goes to the crews and passengers who are increasingly faced with these situations. »
All were apparently British and no arrests were made by the Spanish Civil Guard. It came as British government officials prepare a new proposal that could see nuisance passengers banned from all airlines, not just one particular airline.
Government officials at the Transport Ministry and the Interior Ministry are preparing a system that will allow information on unruly passengers to be shared between carriers. According to a recent YouGov poll of 5,173 Britons, almost 75% of respondents supported such a ban on all flights for these troublesome passengers.
