During a Ryanair flight from Bournemouth to Girona, Spain, a passenger shouted “I want to go” before attempting to open the emergency door in front of panicked travellers
What was meant to be a smooth flight to Spain turned into chaos as a drunk passenger was dragged off the plane after reportedly attempting to open the emergency door mid-air.
The disruptive passenger was on board a Ryanair flight from Bournemouth to Girona, Spain, on Thursday when he was allegedly heard shouting, “I want to go,” before making a beeline for the plane’s door. In a frantic panic, other passengers reportedly stepped in to try and stop him as he appeared adamant on opening the emergency door mid-flight.
Some passengers were in tears following the outbreak on board, even sparking panic attacks. One witness claimed that a “huge brawl” broke out, “with a lot more than one man trying to get him away from the doors.”
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The unidentified man, who was claimed to be intoxicated at the time, is said to have retaliated before he was pinned to the floor of the plane, according to The Sun. In a bid to stop the agitated passenger, who reportedly spat and punched other travellers, a seatbelt extender was allegedly used to bind his ankles together before he was placed back into a plane seat.
A passenger told the publication: “It went on for about 30 minutes and one guy was completely off his head, it took about three people to restrain him.”
They added: “It was horrible, there was blood everywhere, there were people screaming and crying.”
Another traveller also said that the “whole event was very traumatic.”
In a bid to handle the situation, the plane made an emergency landing in Toulouse, France, so the man could be removed from the flight. In video footage, the person could be seen handcuffed and carried away from the plane and onto the Toulouse runway by various police officers.
After he was booted off the plane, the Ryanair flight continued to Girona, Spain, and landed around two hours after its scheduled time. It has been said that the outburst from the man was sparked following a disagreement with someone in his group during the flight before he made his way to the door.
A spokesperson for Ryanair said: “This flight from Bournemouth to Girona (4 Sept) was diverted to Toulouse after a passenger became disruptive onboard.
“Crew called ahead for police assistance, who met the aircraft upon landing at Toulouse Airport and offloaded this passenger before this flight continued to Girona.
“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.”