A man is due at Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday after a Jet2 flight from Edinburgh to Larnaca turned back on Wednesday because of a disruptive passenger, according to the Daily Record.
Police Scotland said officers received a report of a disruptive passenger on the flight at around 4.30pm. The plane returned to Edinburgh Airport, and a 32-year-old man was arrested and charged in connection with offences including assault and endangering an aircraft, The Daily Record reported.
Flight LS721 turned around near Newcastle about 30 minutes after take-off. FlightRadar24 data shows the Boeing 737 had been flying south towards Cyprus and had barely crossed into English airspace.
One eyewitness told the Daily 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.”
The aircraft landed safely, and emergency services met it on the ground. Videos filmed on board show fire crews and airport staff waiting as several police officers carry a person down the stairs and into a van.
Jet2 said it takes a zero-tolerance approach to disruptive passenger behaviour and strongly condemns any such conduct. The airline said it would not hesitate to take action against disruptive passengers, including through the courts where necessary, and would seek to recover the costs their behaviour causes. It apologised to all customers and staff on board.
Police Scotland asked anyone with footage that could help its enquiries to call 101, quoting incident number 2320 of Wednesday, September 23.
(Information from The Daily Record)
