An easyJet flight bound for Tenerife South Airport (TFS) from London Gatwick (LGW) was plunged into chaos after a group of 12 passengers caused a disruption mid-air. The plane was forced to make an accelerated landing, and the flight was met by waiting police officers upon its safe arrival at the airport.
What happened on the flight?
The easyJet flight was en route to Tenerife South, cruising at 35,000 feet, when a group of 12 passengers began behaving in a disruptive manner. While the nature of the incident has not yet been confirmed, the travellers’ behaviour sparked concerns about safety on board the flight, prompting crew members to trigger an alert to air traffic control.
Controllers on the ground in Tenerife immediately coordinated with authorities and requested a police presence to meet the flight upon its arrival at the aircraft stand.
To ensure the situation was resolved as quickly as possible, the controllers also shortened the aircraft’s approach, allowing the flight a more direct route to the runway and making it possible for the plane to perform an accelerated landing. Once the flight had safely landed in Tenerife, waiting police officers boarded the plane to identify and remove the 12 passengers involved in the disturbance.
The airline speaks out
EasyJet has since spoken out to confirm the incident and reiterate that it was handled promptly and appropriately by staff on the flight. A spokesperson for the airline stated:
“Flight EZY8035 from London Gatwick to Tenerife yesterday was met by police on arrival due to a group of passengers behaving disruptively onboard. Our cabin crew are trained to assess all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other customers is not compromised at any time. We take these incidents seriously and do not tolerate disruptive behaviour onboard. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is always easyJet’s highest priority.”
It has not yet been confirmed exactly what consequences the group of passengers will face as a result of this incident.
Do you think harsher penalties should be imposed by airlines to prevent this kind of disruptive behaviour? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
