A Ryanair plane that had taken off from Bournemouth Airport (UK) and was heading to Girona (Spain) was diverted urgently due to a violent incident on board caused by a drunk passenger who tried to open the emergency door during the flight.
Shortly after takeoff, a man came out of the plane’s toilet and rushed towards one of the emergency doors, shouting, „I want to leave.”
His attempt to open the door sparked panic among the other passengers, who quickly intervened to stop him, as reported by Avioationa2z.
Witnesses say the incident quickly escalated into a violent altercation: the man started hitting, spitting at passengers, and even tried to headbutt an elderly traveler. Scenes were described by witnesses as "traumatizing," with blood, screams, and chaos in the cabin.
"It lasted about 30 minutes. The man was completely out of control. It took three people to restrain him. There was blood everywhere, people were crying. It was disgusting," reported David Malone, one of the passengers.
Emergency landing in Toulouse
The pilots decided to divert the aircraft to Toulouse-Blagnac Airport (France), where authorities intervened immediately. Based on passenger-filmed footage, it can be seen how the man, handcuffed, is taken out of the plane by law enforcement and placed under guard on the airport runway.
After the aggressive passenger disembarkation, the plane resumed its flight to Girona, arriving with a delay of about two hours.
Ryanair confirmed the incident:
"This Ryanair flight from Bournemouth to Girona (September 4) was diverted to Toulouse after a passenger became aggressive on board. The crew requested police assistance, which met the aircraft upon landing and disembarked the passenger. Ryanair has a zero-tolerance policy towards disruptive behavior and will continue to take decisive action against it."
Similar Incident in August
It is not an isolated case.
Just a few weeks earlier, another Ryanair flight (RK1266) bound for Agadir (Morocco) was forced to return to Manchester Airport after a woman also tried to open an emergency door.
In that case as well, the passenger was arrested, and the aircraft was technically checked before continuing its journey.
Recurring Issues: Alcohol, a Possible Cause
Incidents where passengers try to open emergency doors during flights, although rare, are drawing more attention to the risks involved in aggressive behaviors in the confined space of an aircraft.
Airlines, including Ryanair, continue to take a tough stance against this type of behavior, while experts call for additional measures to prevent them, including stricter monitoring of alcohol consumption at airports.
In fact, several witnesses of the Bournemouth - Girona flight incident spoke about alcohol consumption before the flight.
Last year, Ryanair's CEO, Michael O'Leary, argued that there should be a limit of two drinks per airport for airplane passengers: "We don't allow people to drive drunk, but we continue to board them on planes at 11,000 meters."