Jet2 flight U-turn as man hauled off airplane after ‘assault and endangering plane’
Jet2 flight LS721 from Edinburgh Airport to Larnaca, Cyprus, turned back around 30 minutes after take-off following reports of a disruptive passenger and landed safely at Edinburgh
Emergency services met flight LS721 after it returned to Edinburgh(Image: Alan Simpson Photography)
A flight from Edinburgh Airport to Cyprus was compelled to turn back and return to the capital due to a “disruptive passenger” on board.
Jet2 flight LS721 to Larnaca returned to Scotland approximately 30 minutes after take-off due to the incident. Emergency services greeted the flight after it safely landed back in Edinburgh. The passenger was then escorted off the aircraft by several police officers upon landing.
Police Scotland confirmed that a 32-year-old man has been arrested and charged with various offences including assault and endangering an aircraft. Jet2 has apologised to customers for the disruption to their flight and stated they adopt a “zero-tolerance approach” to disruptive passenger behaviour.
The incident happened on a Jet2 flight to Cyprus(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
One eyewitness told the Record: “We were only in the air about half an hour when the guy kicked off… Stewardesses were also getting abuse. We finally made a very bumpy landing back in Edinburgh.”
Videos captured inside the aircraft show emergency services responding to the incident after the plane had landed at Edinburgh Airport.
Fire crews and airport staff can be seen on the ground before several police officers are seen escorting a person down the stairs off the flight and into a van.
The flight was forced to return to Edinburgh Airport (file)(Image: Ana del Castillo via Getty Images)
Data from flight tracking app FlightRadar24 reveals that the Boeing 737 departed from Edinburgh and headed south towards Cyprus. The aircraft had barely entered English airspace when it made a U-turn near Newcastle.
A spokesperson for Jet2.com stated: “As a family-friendly airline, we take a zero-tolerance approach to disruptive passenger behaviour, and we strongly condemn any behaviour of this nature.
“We will not hesitate to take appropriate action against disruptive passengers, including through the courts where necessary, and we will seek to recover the costs incurred as a result of their behaviour. We would like to apologise to all customers and our colleagues onboard who had to experience this.”
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 4.30pm on Wednesday, September 23, police received a report of a disruptive passenger on a flight that had departed from Edinburgh Airport. The flight returned to the airport and a 32-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with various offences including assault and endangering an aircraft.
“He is due to appear at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday, September 24. Anyone with any footage which could assist our enquiries is asked to contact officers via 101, quoting incident number 2320 of Wednesday, September 23.”
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