Drunken louts were booted off an easyJet flight at Bristol Airport after attempting to use the loo during take-off.
Passengers on a flight bound for Malaga recounted the dramatic scenes on the runway when the pilot was forced to abort take-off due to the disruptive passengers. The police were summoned to the departure gate to meet the easyJet flight after the pilot halted the plane just as it was about to take off and returned to the terminal. This was due to a group of rowdy young men who refused to sit down and insisted on using the toilet during take-off.
The flight to the Spanish holiday spot was already delayed by an hour in the terminal, and passengers then had to endure another hour’s wait while the ejected passengers collected their bags from the plane and were escorted back to the terminal by the police. One passenger reported that when the door shut and the last of the large group exited the plane, the remaining passengers all spontaneously erupted into cheers.
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EasyJet confirmed that seven passengers were removed from the plane and stated they were treating the incident with utmost seriousness. They emphasised that they do ‘not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour on board’.
(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
One passenger told Bristol Live that the large group of young men were already causing a ruckus even before they boarded the plane, reports Bristol Live.
“The flight was delayed by an hour while we were still waiting in the departure lounge, and clearly that just gave these lads another hour’s drinking time,” recounted Linda Sweeden, who found herself amidst a boozy nightmare on her way back to southern Spain from Bristol. “They were being loud at the gate, but luckily I was sat at the back of the plane and they were at the front. There were loads of them, apart from the front row for the elderly and disabled people, they took up maybe six or seven rows at the front of the plane,” she added.
The situation escalated when the aircraft started its journey towards the runway. “Everyone was seated ready to depart, we’d had the safety briefing and the plane was moving round to the end of the runway to take off, and then suddenly one of the men at the front stood up.”
Linda continued, detailing the disruptive behaviour: “A steward asked him to sit down and he started shouting, so loud we could hear at the back: ‘If you don’t let me go to the toilet I’m going to p*** all over the floor! ‘” She went on, “Then another one stood up and said he wanted to go too, then another, and very quickly about five or six of them were standing up, in the aisle, arguing with the stewards, who were telling them to sit down.”
(Image: NurPhoto via Getty Images)
A passenger discussed the absolute nightmare that unfolded mid-air, leading to a Ryanair flight being diverted. “I don’t know if the stewards pressed some kind of button but suddenly, the plane stopped, the engines stopped and suddenly they were all standing up arguing. It must’ve been really frightening for the elderly and disabled people in the very front row, and the stewards handled it really well,” she dished out the deets.
The drama didn’t end there, as the aircraft made a beeline back to the departure gate. “The stewards ordered off about five or six of these men, but I don’t know what happened but all of them stood up and got off,” she continued.
“When the door closed behind them, there was this big cheer of relief from everyone else, and the captain announced that we would be delayed a little bit longer but would be on our way soon.”
Adding a touch of humour to the chaos, “He even joked that there were loads of seats free near the front if anyone wanted an upgrade,” she chuckled.
Following this, the ejected passengers’ baggage had to be sorted out, causing further delays. “Passengers on the plane then watched as baggage crews were called out. They had to get everyone’s bags off the plane, and the ejected group had to go through and reclaim their bags again, before the rest of the luggage was put back on the plane.”
And just when you thought it was over, “While we were waiting for all this, ironically, people were allowed to go to the loo – they allowed families with children to go first and then everyone could. We’d been waiting for around an hour more there,” Linda added, giving us the full scoop.
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Finally, the plane soared off and touched down in Malaga, albeit two hours past its ETA.
An easyJet spokesperson has confirmed the airline’s stance on a recent incident, stating: “easyJet can confirm that flight EZY7004 from Bristol to Malaga on May 11 returned to stand due to some passengers behaving disruptively. The aircraft was met by police and the passengers were offloaded before the flight continued to Malaga.”
“Our cabin crew are trained to assess all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time.”
“Whilst such incidents are rare, we take them very seriously and do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour onboard. The safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew is always easyJet’s priority,” they added.