A Ryanair flight from Edinburgh to Tenerife ended in an emergency landing in Oporto after a violent confrontation between passengers.
A group of passengers, apparently under the influence of alcohol, started causing problems on board. That led to a violent argument with other travellers.
Chaos and fear on Ryanair flight
According to reporting from Preferente.com, the situation quickly escalated when the disruptive passengers started throwing bottles. This caused chaos and frightened the passengers present, including children. “Children were screaming, bottles were being thrown at them. The women were worse than the men with the shouting and constant swearing,” said one of the passengers.
Crew intervention
The aircraft crew attempted to calm the situation but without success. Ultimately it was decided to make an emergency landing in Oporto. There, some of those involved (not all) were taken off board by the local police and the Guardia Civil.
“Worst flight of my life”
David Love, a passenger on board, described the experience as “the worst flight of my life.” “The flight attendants couldn’t do anything. A few fights were going on at the same time and they decided to divert the plane. Then it got worse and a bigger fight broke out,” Love said.
Response from Ryanair
Ryanair confirmed the incident and stated that “this flight was diverted when a small number of passengers caused a disturbance on board. The crew requested police assistance in advance and upon arrival the aircraft was met by local police who removed these passengers before the flight continued to Tenerife.” The flight eventually landed with a two-hour delay.
Also read: Emergency landing due to fake childbirth
