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The man, who was leading a stag party, was arrested along with two others and could spend five years in prison for causing trouble on a flight.
In this representative AI-generated illustration, police officers are seen restraining unruly passengers aboard a flight that was diverted after a mid-air disruption. (IMAGE: IMAGEN 4/NEWS18)
A UK man is facing up to five years in prison after he attempted to ‘open the doors’ of a packed Ryanair plane headed to the UK while it was in mid-flight.
According to the Daily Mail, who first reported the incident, French elite special forces police had to be called to the airport in Toulouse to drag off the drunk men.
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The incident happened last Friday aboard a flight travelling to London-Luton Airport from Alicante, in the south of Spain. Due to the chaos inside the plane, the pilot was forced to make an emergency landing in France’s Toulouse after the man made the threat.
“He was next to an emergency door and trying to open it. It was terrifying for everybody else on the flight. The pilot had no other option except to land the plane,” an official was quoted as saying by the Daily Mail.
Their report said that the cabin crew and fellow passengers had attempted to calm the group and parents aboard the flight urged that they watch their language as there were children aboard.
When the plane landed at the Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, a unit of the Air Transport Gendarmerie Company (CGTA) stormed on board and removed the man. Four officers restrained him and placed him in handcuffs.
“When it became clear that the majority of the group, excluding the stag himself, were being removed from the aircraft, tensions escalated further,” a passenger told the newspaper, highlighting that the would-be groom steered clear of his companions who were causing a ruckus inside the flight.
“He was very drunk and was taken to a Border Police cell to sober up. His blood alcohol level was so high that it was a number of hours before he could be spoken to. Around four of his friends were taken off the flight at the same time, and arrested. The principal accused is now at the centre of a judicial enquiry, and faces trial and a punishment of up to five years,” an official told the paper.
The report said that the flight took off 45 minutes later after the unruly passengers were deboarded.
“Two rowdy bachelor party boys started fighting several times, ignored the crew and refused to sit down. They shouldn’t have even boarded the plane – they were openly drinking duty-free in the departure lounge and could barely stand up,” a passenger told the news outlet.
The trouble began when two men agreed to leave the aircraft, but tensions escalated after another passenger in a baseball cap refused to comply. “No, no, no, no, it’s not possible,” he shouted before leaping from his seat.
As officers restrained him, his son protested: “He didn’t start that, they started it, my dad did not start that.” While police handcuffed his father, the son pleaded: “That’s my dad,” before being pulled from his seat as well.
Passenger Tania Nichols, who filmed the incident, said the group had been “loud and unruly” even before take-off, swapping seats, ignoring safety rules, and later drinking duty-free alcohol. She claimed one man harassed her friend, while others fought, spat on seats, and even put their feet on headrests. “One woman was even kicked in the head,” she said.
Nichols added that cabin crew handled the ordeal “with grace and professionalism” and deserved recognition.
Passengers cheered as the men were removed by French police. Ryanair confirmed the diversion, saying it has a zero-tolerance policy for such behavior.
In France, 40 drunk incidents per 1,000 flights were reported by French airlines last year in 2024, compared to 30 in 2021, according to figures by French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC).
About the Author
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev…Read More
Shankhyaneel Sarkar is a senior subeditor at News18. He covers international affairs, where he focuses on breaking news to in-depth analyses. He has over five years of experience during which he has covered sev… Read More
London, United Kingdom (UK)
September 29, 2025, 22:35 IST
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