Passengers have issued a demand for a rule change after a Ryanair flight was forced to divert.
A number of passengers were hauled off a Ryanair flight on Saturday, September 18, after a "drunken" man reportedly "urinated" on a seat. The flight, from Manchester to Tenerife, was forced to divert to the Portugese island of Porto Santo where the man and a small number of other passengers were removed from the plane after becoming "disruptive".
Another passenger, who wishes to remain anonymous, told the ECHO the man looked "rotten" drunk and was repeatedly told to sit down by cabin crew before the pilot chose to divert the flight.
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He said: “The flight was delayed at Manchester Airport so there was more drinking time. Usually when you get on a delayed flight, the first thing you hear is the captain and cabin crew welcoming you on board and apologising for the delay.
"But straight away the first announcement on the system was ‘anyone found drinking their own alcohol or smoking in the toilets will be dismissed from the plane and if needs be we’ll divert’ so they were aware of this passenger straight away.
“The guy was just wild. He was very drunk and was up and down out of his seat and was told to sit down loads of times. Eventually, he wanted to go to the toilet but he was told no, so he stood up and there was an empty seat adjacent to him and he just revealed himself and had a wee on the seat.”
Following the incident, the pilot reportedly warned the flight would be diverted and police would be called if the man persisted with his behaviour. However, after a number of arguments broke out on board, the pilot had no choice but to land the plane.
The anonymous passenger added: "People were trying to reason with the man and talk to him but he was gone. It just seemed like he was in another world.
"Other passengers were getting involved and giving him stick but he just stood up and was like, ‘Where the f*** are we gonna go? We’re not going anywhere’ and then all of a sudden the pilot came over the system and was like, 'despite constant warnings, we’ve got no choice but to land the plane'.
"There ended up being fighting at the front and the back of the plane. It was just mad. "
The plane landed in Porto Santo, where local police removed the rowdy passengers from plane before the flight continued onto Tenerife. Despite the disruption, the anonymous passenger has praised the Ryanair cabin crew for the way they dealt with the incident.
He said: “The Ryanair staff handled the situation really well because it wasn’t nice to deal with but they were brilliant."
A Ryanair spokesperson said: "This flight from Manchester to Tenerife (18 Sept) diverted to Porto Santo after a small number of passengers became disruptive inflight. The aircraft landed safely, and these passengers were removed from the aircraft by local police before it continued to Tenerife.”
ECHO readers took to the comments section to demand the rules surrounding alcohol on planes to be changed.
1GARY said: "Disgraceful, shame shame upon all involved with making the plane land to get these off it, hopefully sooner than later all alcohol will be banned from drinking at airports, particularly allowing alcohol to be purchased on board planes and drinking it on the plane."
ScabbieOldDog said: "Hmm, wonder if they'll stop serving booze in departure terminals. I very much doubt it."
Why not! said: "Ban alcohol full stop greedy airports and airlines."
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