Dramatic scenes unfold on EasyJet flight to Manchester Airport
A flight from Dalaman, Turkey to Manchester Airport was forced to make an emergency landing in Germany after an ‘erratic’ passenger caused chaos on board. The incident occurred on Saturday night, May 24, and has been described in detail by a passenger who witnessed the events unfold.
According to the Manchester Evening News, the passenger, who was travelling alone, began screaming that there was a bomb on the flight and attempted to grab the emergency exit door and reach for life jackets. The passenger, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Manchester Evening News: "Once the plane had taken off, she began to run up and down the plane screaming about how it was going down and there was a bomb. She also tried to get life jackets and oxygen masks out."
The passenger claims the woman then disturbed a couple, telling them the plane was ‘going down’, before reaching for the emergency exit. It took three males to wrestle the woman away from the emergency exit, and she was then taken to the back of the plane by cabin crew. The flight made an emergency landing at Frankfurt Airport, where emergency services were waiting.
The Manchester Evening News has learned that the flight, which was due to leave Dalaman at 11pm, departed at midnight local time and landed at Frankfurt Airport at around 2:30am. Passengers were reportedly kept on board the flight for a number of hours before being allowed to leave for the airport at around 5am.
An investigation has been launched involving authorities in Germany. EasyJet has confirmed that a ‘disruptive’ passenger had led to flight EZY2148 being diverted to Frankfurt. A spokesperson for the airline said: "Flight EZY2148 from Dalaman to Manchester on May 24 diverted to Frankfurt due to a passenger behaving disruptively onboard."
The airline has apologized for the delay and has explained that due to an airport curfew, the flight could not depart Frankfurt until later that day. The flight finally arrived in Manchester at 1:40pm, according to easyJet’s website.
The Manchester Evening News has been told that the passenger was ‘wrestled away’ by other passengers and cabin crew, and that she had ripped off the emergency exit door handle cover. The incident has raised concerns about passenger safety and the training of cabin crew.
In a statement, an EasyJet spokesperson said: "easyJet’s cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time. Whilst such incidents are rare we take them very seriously and do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour onboard. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority."
The incident has highlighted the challenges faced by airlines in dealing with disruptive passengers and the importance of having trained cabin crew on board. The Manchester Evening News will continue to follow this story and provide updates as more information becomes available.
The dramatic events on the EasyJet flight have caused concern among passengers and airline staff alike. As one passenger noted, "It was a very frightening experience. I have never been on a flight where something like that has happened before." The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of airline safety and security measures.
The Manchester Evening News has learned that passengers who were on the flight were provided with refreshment vouchers to help make them as comfortable as possible while they waited for their flight to continue. The airline has also apologized for the delay and any inconvenience it may have caused.
As the investigation into the incident continues, the Manchester Evening News will provide updates and analysis on the events that unfolded on the EasyJet flight.
