On a recent international flight, I expected the worst, and I don’t think that was unreasonable. Airlines are practically breaking out the crowbars to try to cram as many passengers in as possible, cutting back on every service, and charging extra for the smallest things. You have to have some kind of coping strategy figured out ahead of time, even if it’s just closing your eyes and spending a few hours in your happy place.
However, if liquor is your go-to stress buster on long flights, here’s a cautionary tale that might have you re-thinking that idea.
Two passengers on a Ryanair flight from Glasgow to sunny Tenerife started their holiday in the worst possible way.
The two men came to blows before the plane had even reached its destination, with one reportedly biting the other’s nose off in a mid-air brawl that supposedly started over a woman not wearing her shoes.
Passengers, including young children, looked on in horror, some with their phones out, as the men threw punches at each other.
According to the Scottish Sun , one of the passengers said that “There were numerous occasions of drunk and disorderly behaviour leading to a man having his nose bitten off.”
A video posted to social media shows a female flight attendant getting in the middle and other passengers trying to break up the fight.
And according to STV News , the video’s poster, Ben Wardrop, said that it all began when a woman not wearing shoes decided to head to the bathroom.
He said “a very drunk man pulled her up about it, saying that someone would stand on her toes, then the woman’s boyfriend stepped in and tried to defuse the situation.”
It’s unclear in the video whether or not a passenger’s nose was actually bitten off or not.
However, one of the men is clearly led away, his face covered in blood, by a flight attendant. The airline did not mention any specific injuries to either passenger following the incident.
The airline did, however, confirm that police were waiting for the men when the plane finally touched down.
There was general agreement that the in-flight staff handled the situation as best they could.
“One of the cabin crew, which was a young woman aged about 24, was caught in the middle of it all and was very scared, but done a good job on defusing the men fighting,” Wardrop said. “Ryanair’s staff handled the situation very well.”
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Amazingly, the brawl didn’t disrupt the flight plan, and the plane did reach its destination.
“The aircraft landed normally and police removed and detained two individuals,” the airline said in a statement. “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.”
Passengers on the next flight for the plane were less thrilled, however.
As one passenger noted on Twitter, the cleaning crew definitely missed a spot on the overhead compartments after the brawl.
No further details have been released regarding whether the men face charges over the altercation.
You can see Wardrop’s video below, but fair warning that the content may not be appropriate for all viewers.
h/t The Scottish Sun , STV News
