- This story is breaking, more to follow
A drunk British man has been arrested at a Spanish airport after being drunk on board and trying to open the door mid-flight.
Spanish police were waiting on the tarmac when the plane touched down in Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport, and arrested the 28-tear-old man, who was said to have been so drunk that he did not realise the plane was still in the air.
Passengers helped the crew to restrain him during a brawl in which he reportedly became aggressive and compromised the safety of the flight.
The incident happened on Thursday on board an Easyjet flight which had left Gatwick airport for Alicante-Elche in Spain, according to Spanish newspaper Informacion.es
The Brit had already been disturbing the other passengers with his drunken behaviour.
(File image of Alicante coastline) A drunk British man has been arrested at Alicante airport after being drunk on board and trying to open the door mid-flight
As the plane neared its destination, the man allegedly tried to open a door to ‘get off quicker’ after not realising the aircraft had not yet landed.
This resulted in the pilot having to call the control tower to request the presence of the Civil Guard on touch-down, Informacion.es reported.
‘Apparently, the traveller boarded already drunk but his condition worsened during the flight, since the altitude enhances the effects of alcohol. At one point, he got into a fight with other travellers, whom he attacked after insulting and provoking them. When the company’s onboard personnel intervened, he also tried to hit them,’ said Informacion.es
‘And not only that. In the midst of a brawl, he tried to open the plane door to get off, without being aware that they were in mid-flight, and then tried to access the cabin. Finally, the passenger helped the crew to immobilise him and, as soon as the aircraft landed in El Altet, the Civil Guard entered and detained him.’
Alicante airport registers has one of the highest records of conflicts with passengers in Spain. Last year alone there were 184 complaints – only Tenerife Sur-Reina Sofía was ahead, with 189.
‘The vast majority were carried out, as in this case, by drunk travellers from the United Kingdom,’ Informacion.es said.
More to follow.