An easyJet flight from Gatwick Airport to Antalya was forced to divert to Kosovo following a disruptive incident involving a drunken woman and a man on board an Airbus A320.
During the flight, the woman was reported to be drinking directly from a bottle of vodka. A man, who was not travelling with her but started interacting after discovering they were both from Kent, boasted about a history of prison and threatened to kill any passengers who complained about their behaviour.
The situation escalated when the flight crew asked the pair to stop drinking, resulting in a fight that required intervention from other passengers. Families with young children were among those affected, with some children screaming in fear as tensions rose.
The woman was travelling with her partner and young children. During the incident, her boyfriend moved away with one of the distressed children to try to manage the situation.
Due to safety concerns, the flight was diverted to Kosovo where police boarded the aircraft and escorted both the woman and the man off the plane. The flight then resumed and arrived in Antalya approximately three hours later than scheduled, much to the relief of other travellers.
This event has intensified calls within the aviation industry for a UK-wide ban on disruptive passengers across all airlines. Sources at easyJet have expressed support for proposals, including Jet2’s suggestion of a blanket ban that would prevent banned individuals from flying with any UK carrier, aiming to stop offenders from switching airlines to avoid sanctions.
EasyJet stated: “We do not tolerate disruptive behaviour. The safety of customers and crew is always our highest priority.”
Originally published by UKNIP.
