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A Ryanair flight from Edinburgh to Mallorca descended into chaos on Tuesday June 16 when a passenger allegedly became disruptive mid-flight and ended up brawling with Guardia Civil officers after the plane landed.

 

Fellow passenger Ritchie Denholm, 40, who witnessed the incident, said the trouble had started before the plane even left Scotland. "They were very drunk before leaving Edinburgh, lover's tiff and it all started," he said. "The crew intervened until landing, then when they found out they're getting arrested they started again. Some passengers were scared and shocked."

 

According to eyewitness accounts, the passenger clashed with several Guardia Civil officers after landing, at one point allegedly punching an officer in the face while surrounded in his seat. Officers then restrained the man, with one straddling him and another reportedly using a metal baton to bring the situation under control.

 

Denholm, clearly shaken by what he had witnessed, called for tougher controls at airports. "No one should put anyone at risk on a flight considering things that have happened on flights in the past," he said. "There should be more security on flights to stop anyone intoxicated getting on."

 

His comments echo a growing debate about alcohol and air travel. Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary has previously stated that almost one flight a day is diverted due to passenger behaviour, and has called for a two-drink limit at airport bars, saying he "fails to understand" why establishments serve people "at five or six o'clock in the morning."

 

The incident is the latest in a string of flight disruptions involving Ryanair. In May, two passengers who caused chaos on a flight from London Stansted to Ibiza, forcing the plane to divert to Toulouse, were convicted by a French court and handed fines totalling more than €10,000, along with suspended prison sentences of up to 10 months.

 

The pattern of behaviour is frustratingly familiar for airlines and fellow passengers alike, and shows little sign of abating as the busy summer travel season gets underway.

 

 

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