The aircraft had to make an emergency landing at Vigo Airport, in Spain, following a request from the captain.
The man, from Setúbal, reportedly boarded the Irish airline's flight FR1080 with a hostile attitude and signs of drunkenness, after having bought and consumed several bottles of alcohol in the duty-free stores in the British terminal, according to the newspaper La Voz de Galicia.
The same media reported that the Portuguese man punched the seat in front of him several times, forcing passengers to leave their seats for fear of being hit. The Setúbal native was also seen confronting the aircraft commander.
Despite the efforts of the crew, who tried to calm him down, the man became progressively more violent, so the commander decided to request an emergency landing in Vigo.
In Spain, Guardia Civil agents forced the Portuguese man to disembark, receiving a standing ovation from the passengers.
The crew also received a standing ovation.
The flight continued to Lisbon at 10:32 am, and the man was released at the end of the afternoon.
I have had this experience too, coming out of London City to Basel. A man drank a 1-litre bottle of vodka between duty free shopping and through a delay on the apron, waiting to take off. After take off he was violent and threatening and the flight was due to be diverted to Amsterdam. They managed to restrain and cuff him in time so the diversion wasn't necessary. I've been on another flight where a group of young men were clearly very, very drunk but were allowed to board. I fail to understand why any drunk person should be allowed to board a flight? Fortunately, it was okay but It's a terrifying experience and I'm concerned about attention that is diverted from important activities in the cockpit to deal with these situations, possibly creating a less than optimal environment for pilots. I sincerely hope that the authorities on the ground everywhere take these issues seriously and prosecute to the full extent.
By Jenny Keating from Algarve on 01 Jan 2024, 16:15
Who pays for all this?
By Richard from Madeira on 02 Jan 2024, 09:22