A disruptive incident involving a drunken passenger forced an EasyJet flight to make an emergency landing, raising questions about the airline’s handling of the situation and the safety measures in place.
Incident Overview
On a recent EasyJet flight from London Gatwick to Kos, Greece, a 15-year-old girl was reportedly set on fire by a fellow student at Evan Hardy Collegiate in Saskatoon on Thursday, according to police. The incident occurred over the noon hour and led to immediate emergency responses.
Emergency Landing Triggered by Drunk Passenger
The flight, cruising at 30,000 feet, was diverted to Munich due to the erratic behavior of a drunken passenger. According to reports, the man, who was allegedly already intoxicated when he boarded, caused significant disruption, including an attempt to storm the cockpit. Eyewitnesses claim that his behavior escalated after being told to “shut up” by a fellow passenger.
A witness described the man’s actions, stating, “He was shouting. He was asking for a beer before the plane even took off and the stewardess said he would have to wait until we were in the air as they don’t have a license to serve alcohol on the ground.” The man reportedly continued his disruptive behavior after takeoff, including abusive language towards other passengers and flight attendants, and making inappropriate comments.
“He had already broken the intercom,” another passenger said. Concerns grew among passengers as the man’s behavior became increasingly erratic, with some fearing for their safety.
Eyewitness Accounts and Criticisms
Several passengers criticized EasyJet for allegedly allowing the man to board the flight in the first place. One passenger expressed frustration with the airline’s handling of the situation: “EasyJet recorded the diversion as ‘extraordinary circumstance’ but it was extraordinary that they actually let the man on the plane and it was extraordinarily unbelievable that no one was injured or seriously hurt.”
Another passenger shared similar sentiments, accusing EasyJet of deflecting responsibility: “EasyJet washed its hands of the incident, advising it was out of its control, which is not the case. The man should never have been allowed on the plane.”
Airline’s Response
In response to the incident, EasyJet issued a statement emphasizing their commitment to passenger safety. “The flight from London Gatwick to Kos was diverted to Munich after a passenger started ‘behaving disruptively,’” the statement read. The airline assured that safety is their “highest priority” and that they take such incidents very seriously.
“While such incidents are rare, we take them very seriously and do not tolerate abusive or threatening behavior onboard. The flight was delayed overnight while we arranged a replacement crew and provided customers with hotel accommodation and meals along with updates on the flight’s departure this afternoon. While this was outside of our control, we are sorry for the inconvenience caused,” the statement added.
Following the emergency landing in Germany, the disruptive passenger was detained by police for causing a disturbance.
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