Lorraine Williamson
A Vueling flight from Valencia to Amsterdam was delayed by more than 2 hours after a man entered a restricted area at Valencia Airport and climbed onto the aircraft’s roof as it prepared to depart.
The incident happened on Saturday afternoon, shortly before the scheduled 6.35 pm departure, according to sources quoted by Spanish media from Aena. The airport alerted the Guardia Civil, which attended the scene and brought the situation under control.
What witnesses saw on the runway
Footage shared online showed the man moving across the top of the fuselage while staff on the ground attempted to contain the situation. La Vanguardia
Authorities have not published an official account of what he was saying. Reputable reporting has focused instead on the security breach and the response.
How it ended
The Guardia Civil persuaded the man to come down safely. No injuries were reported, and there was no damage to the aircraft, according to the accounts carried by Cadena SER and La Vanguardia.
Medical teams then attended to the man and transported him to Hospital General de València after officers observed an “altered mental state”, as reported by Spanish outlets citing emergency service information.
Flight delay and legal consequences
The disruption delayed the Amsterdam-bound flight by more than two hours, though airport sources said it did not affect wider air traffic at the airport.
The man was reported to have been denounced for breaching Spain’s aviation safety law, a step that can lead to serious administrative sanctions depending on the case.
Internal review
Aena has opened an internal review into how the man accessed the restricted operations area. In practical terms, that investigation is likely to focus on perimeter controls, access points, and whether any security barrier was bypassed or left vulnerable.