A 28-year-old British man was arrested in Spain after allegedly getting drunk, brawling with passengers and crew members, and attempting to open an airplane door mid-flight in an effort to “get off quicker.”
The incident occurred on an easyJet flight from London’s Gatwick Airport to the Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernandez Airport in southern Spain on Thursday. According to Spanish news outlet informacion.es, the man boarded the plane already drunk and became increasingly intoxicated due to the effects of altitude.
His belligerent behavior, which included spewing insults at other passengers, sparked a fight on board. When crew members tried to intervene, the man allegedly hit them as well, forcing the workers to restrain him.
As the plane neared its destination, the tipsy troublemaker reportedly didn’t realize the aircraft was still in the air and attempted to open a door to exit more quickly. This incident bears similarities to a case in China, where a 65-year-old man named Mr. Song opened an emergency door on a Shandong Airlines flight in an attempt to disembark faster, resulting in his arrest and a 10-day detention.
The pilot of the easyJet flight was forced to notify the control tower and report the incident to Civil Guard police as the plane touched down in Alicante. The man was arrested upon landing, though his specific charges were not immediately clear.
Mr. Song, a first-time flyer, reportedly told officers that he didn’t know proper aircraft regulations. Both incidents serve as reminders of the dangers of unruly and intoxicated passengers on flights and the importance of following proper aircraft regulations and respecting the authority of crew members to ensure the safety of all on board.
