Passengers wrestle man to ground on easyJet flight
British holidaymakers helped the crew of an easyJet flight from Gatwick to restrain a fellow passenger after he allegedly began trying to open the emergency exit door in mid-flight.
The man, who was in his 30s, was wrestled to the ground then forced into a seat where he was ‘boxed in’ by other passengers until the flight landed safely in Pisa, Italy.
Businessman Richard Conyard told The Sun that the man had entered the toilet, looking a little nervous and wearing a heavy coat. When he emerged, he went to the emergency exit and tried to open the door, claimed Conyard.
After one of the crew tried to stop him, two or three other passengers rushed to help and bundled the man into a seat.
On landing, all passengers were forced to wait onboard until the police arrived.
In a statement, easyJet confirmed that the captain of Flight EZY8233 had asked police to meet the aircraft owing to the ‘disruptive behaviour of a passenger onboard during the descent’.
Pisa Airport police said a man in his 30s from Siena, Italy had been questioned in connection with the incident.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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