Ryanair plane forced to divert to dump ‘drunk and aggressive’ Irish couple causing havoc on flight from Spain to Dublin
Sources said the couple were being “aggressive” and said they believed they had been arguing “violently” with each other after too much to drink on the way back from the Costa Blanca
A RYANAIR plane had to make an unscheduled stop in northern Spain to dump a “drunk” Irish couple heading back to Dublin from the Costa Blanca capital of Alicante.
The pilot of Ryanair flight FR7063 diverted the plane to the port city of Santander after asking police to meet the aircraft when the pair became “aggressive” at 35,000 feet above sea level.
Sources said the couple were being “aggressive” and said they believed they had been arguing “violently” with each other after too much to drink.
They are now facing a fine for breaching air security after Civil Guard officers took them off the aircraft to formally identify them.
The Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (AESA), the state body ensuring civil aviation standards are observed in all aeronautical activity in Spain, will now deciding the fine.
The incident happened yesterday afternoon.
The Ryanair pilot made the unscheduled landing just before 4pm at Seve Ballesteros-Santander Airport about an hour into the three-hour flight.
It took off again about 5pm local time after the “disruptive” passengers left the plane.
A Spokesman for the Civil Guard in Cantabria, the region Santander forms part of, confirmed an Irish couple had been removed from the Ryanair plane after it touched down at the airport.
He said: “The pilot asked us to attend because he didn’t want two people who were on the plane and being aggressive to continue their journey.
“They won’t face any criminal charges but are likely to receive a fine from AESA, the state body that will now move things forward.
“I cannot comment on what happened in the plane because it wasn’t something the Civil Guard witnessed.
"The message from the plane was that they were being aggressive.”
They were said to have abandoned the aircraft of their own accord.
But it was made clear to them that they would be removed anyway if they didn’t leave by themselves.
They were not arrested, as is customary in Spain in situations of this kind.
Local reports said the man and woman, believed to be in their mid-fifties, were spotted afterwards inside the airport terminal trying to buy new tickets back home.
Their whereabouts this morning was unclear.
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A Ryanair spokesman said: “We will not tolerate unruly or disruptive behaviour at any time and the safety and comfort of our customers, crew and aircraft is our number one priority.
“This is now a matter for local police.
This is exactly why we are calling for significant changes to prohibit the sale of alcohol at airports, such as a two-drink limit per passenger and no alcohol sales before 10am.”
At the start of the month a Polish man was taken off a Ryanair plane that had just landed at Malaga Airport from Stansted after leaving the aircraft via an emergency exit and climbing onto the wing.
Polish expat Romuald Gracyzk was later warned he could face a fine of up to £40,000 for breaching airport security.
But it is unlikely authorities will ever get any money out of him because he lives in a charity flat and busks for tourists outside Malaga Cathedral to make a bit of pocket money.
He apologised for his action after his stunt, blaming his drastic actions on an attack of claustrophobia after a delay leaving Stansted and another unexplained wait when the plane reached Malaga.
Later he admitted: “I’m ashamed, it was a mistake.”
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A spokesman for air operator AENA confirmed the Civil Guard had been asked to remove two passengers from a Ryanair flight which made an unscheduled stop at Seve Ballesteros-Santander airport, but said she couldn’t comment on their nationalities
She said: “Two people on the plane were acting in an inappropriate way and the Ryanair pilot decided to land in Santander after asking for police to meet them on the tarmac.
“Normal protocol in these situations where air security is being affected is that the pilot diverts to the nearest airport and the passengers held responsible for causing the air security breach are removed from the plane, and this is what happened.
“The aircraft touched down around 4pm yesterday/on Wednesday and left again for Dublin at 5pm local time.”
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