Ryanair Boeing 737 bound for Lisbon diverted to Spain, rowdy passenger arrested

A 50-year-old Portuguese man was arrested on Friday on a Ryanair flight from London Stansted after his drunken behavior caused the pilot to divert the plane to a nearby Spanish airport. Passengers will usually be denied boarding if they show signs of bad behavior, primarily signs of drunken behavior. In this case, the man was allowed to board the plane, but with disappointing results.

The Ryanair service was a scheduled flight between London Stansted International Airport (STN) and Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS). Boeing 737-800 operated flight FR1080 is registered to his EI-DCP and is 19 years old. Delivered to carrier in November 2004.

suspicious boarding

There were already signs of concern about passenger behavior before the plane departed from London Stansted. All passengers were allowed to board, including the man who was later arrested. Witnesses told La Vos de Galicia that the man was already acting in a hostile manner and was showing obvious signs of intoxication. It is unclear whether other staff, including gate agents and Ryanair crew, were aware of the man’s condition before takeoff.

Photo: Uwe Michael Neumann | Shutterstock

The man reportedly bought several bottles of alcoholic beverages at a duty-free shop at the airport and had already begun drinking before departing.

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a “Very, very, very violent behavior.”

According to eyewitness accounts reported by La Vos de Galicia newspaper, the man “Very, very, very violent behavior.” (Translated from Spanish). The man began punching the seat in front of him and continued the act for much of the flight. As the man continued to behave uncontrollably, surrounding passengers were forced to leave their seats and sit elsewhere in fear of being punched by the man. One passenger described him this way: “animal” (Translated from Spanish). Unruly passengers were seen confronting the pilot.

The man’s behavior did not improve. In fact, the situation got worse. The crew reassured him to remain calm as they were soon approaching their destination. He reportedly tried to calm the man down but was unsuccessful and the man was chained to the seat. The pilot then requested an emergency landing at Vigo Airport in Spain and asked police to escort the man on arrival.

Photo: InsectWorld | Shutterstock

arrest

The aircraft landed at Vigo Airport around 9:30 local time (UTC+1), according to Flightradar24 data. Upon arrival, members of the Spanish Civil Guard (Guardia Civil) After boarding the plane, the passengers were forcibly removed. The effort reportedly required four he or five agents. Passengers applauded and gave the crew and civilian security a standing ovation.

The plane then took off and headed to Lisbon, landing around 11:30 a.m. local time, according to Flightradar24.

Justice to be served?

La Vos de Galicia newspaper is now reporting that a passenger could face criminal charges for punching a private security guard. It is now up to the court handling the case to determine whether the passenger intentionally attacked the officer or was simply resisting. This distinction would change the course of his sentence.

Photo: InsectWorld/Shutterstock

The man is also the subject of a claim for damages from Ryanair for the costs to the airline of diverting his flight to Vigo Airport. Other costs that Ryanair may charge include fuel costs. It is noteworthy that Ryanair allowed passengers to board their aircraft at London Stansted Airport despite signs of unruly behavior.