A Ryanair flight from Manchester to Rhodes experienced a tense situation on April 3rd that necessitated an emergency abort of its initial landing. The incident stemmed from the behavior of one passenger who became disruptive during the aircraft’s descent.
Witness accounts detail how crew members were forced to take swift action after the man refused to comply with instructions and exhibited increasingly erratic conduct. Video footage circulating online shows staff, alongside concerned passengers, surrounding the individual as a member of the cabin crew could be heard demanding, “Sit down, now.”
The trouble reportedly began when flight attendants confiscated two bottles of duty-free alcohol from the passenger and declined to serve him further drinks. Eyewitnesses claim this triggered an outburst where the man began shouting at staff.
“He was squaring up to staff after they took away his alcohol,” stated Emily, a 26-year-old passenger who documented the event.
Prior to the incident, an announcement had been made over the intercom warning passengers against consuming duty-free alcohol and indicating potential police action upon arrival.
As the plane approached Rhodes for landing, the situation escalated when the passenger managed to break free from the initial restraints used on him. This prompted the pilot to abort the landing attempt, causing the aircraft to circle the island before attempting a second approach.
To restrain the disruptive passenger, crew members utilized two spare seatbelts in an effort to secure him in his seat.
Emily described how the incident unfolded: “The flight was going completely fine until the cabin crew came up to me and my partner…asking if we could be separated because a little girl needed to come down to the front of the plane with her dad as this man was being disruptive. When we couldn’t move, another passenger was asked instead.”
Upon finally touching down in Rhodes, passengers were instructed to remain seated until local police arrived and boarded the aircraft. Officers then escorted the individual off the plane.
A spokesperson for Ryanair confirmed the incident: “The crew of this flight from Manchester to Rhodes on April 3 called ahead for police assistance after a passenger became disruptive onboard.”
They further stated, “The aircraft was met by local police upon arrival at Rhodes Airport and this passenger was removed.”
Ryanair reiterated their firm stance on such matters: “Ryanair has a strict zero tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct and will continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour.” The airline emphasized its dedication to ensuring “all passengers and crew travel in a safe and respectful environment, without unnecessary disruption.”
Key Points of the Incident:
- The flight was initially heading from Manchester to Rhodes.
- The incident occurred during the descent into Rhodes on April 3rd.
- A passenger became disruptive after having alcohol confiscated.
- Crew members used spare seatbelts to try and restrain him.
- The pilot had to abort the initial landing attempt.
- Police were called upon arrival in Rhodes, and the passenger was removed from the aircraft.
