Drunk EasyJet Passenger Tries to Storm Cockpit at 30,000 Feet, Calls Captain ‘Rubbish,’ Forcing Emergency Landing
Chaos erupted aboard an easyJet flight when an allegedly drunk passenger attempted to storm the cockpit, forcing an emergency landing after he declared the captain was “rubbish” and that he would take control of the plane. The mid-air drama unfolded on Flight U28235, which departed from London Gatwick Airport on Tuesday, bound for Kos International Airport in Greece.
The unruly passenger, intoxicated after consuming whiskey, became increasingly agitated as the plane encountered turbulence. As the Airbus A320 cruised at 30,000 feet, the man reportedly claimed he could fly the plane better and tried to open an exit door, causing panic among passengers and crew.
According to witnesses, flight attendants and passengers sprang into action, detaining the man after a brawl ensued. One passenger managed to hold him down until the plane made an emergency landing at Munich International Airport, just an hour and 44 minutes after takeoff.
German police boarded the aircraft, handcuffed the disruptive passenger, and escorted him off as others on board cheered. In a video posted on TikTok, one furious passenger could be heard yelling, “Get off, you loser,” while others applauded the passenger who had helped restrain him.
“Captain Mike landed us safely,” one passenger said, while others taunted the disruptive flyer by chanting lyrics from KRS-One’s Sound of da Police.
“The cabin crew were great and very brave, but the whole drama was very upsetting,” a source told local media. The drunk passenger reportedly broke the onboard intercom and fought with the flight crew during the ordeal.
EasyJet later confirmed the incident, explaining that the emergency landing was due to a “passenger behaving disruptively onboard.” The airline stressed that safety is its highest priority and that its crew is trained to handle such situations.
“While such incidents are rare, we take them very seriously and do not tolerate abusive or threatening behavior onboard,” easyJet said in a statement.
Following the emergency landing, passengers were provided with hotel and meal accommodations before continuing their journey to Greece the next day. EasyJet apologized for the inconvenience, stating that while the situation was out of their control, they regretted the disruption caused.
This incident comes amid calls from Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary for airports to impose a two-drink limit on passengers to reduce instances of disruptive behavior on flights.