A Jet2 flight from Antalya, Turkey, to Manchester was forced to divert to Brussels on Thursday, February 12, after a violent brawl erupted mid-air.
Flight LS896 was cruising at around 30,000ft when what began as a heated argument quickly spiralled into full-blown chaos. Cabin crew and passengers were left stunned as screaming, pushing and punching broke out among travellers, with at least two men at the centre of the trouble.
Eyewitnesses later described the horrifying aftermath, with blood on seats, tooth fragments on the floor, and terrified passengers caught in the fight. One circulating video clip appears to show several men grappling and exchanging blows as the crew frantically tries to intervene.
According to fellow passengers, the trouble began after a man became aggressive and confrontational after being refused cigarettes on board. There are reports that he and his companion, both believed to have been drinking, made racist comments toward other passengers before the situation quickly escalated into violence.
The pilot decided to divert the aircraft to Brussels, Belgium, where local police were waiting on the tarmac. Once on the ground, Belgian authorities boarded the aircraft and arrested the two main instigators, escorting them off in custody.
Jet2 later confirmed that both individuals would be banned from flying with the airline for life, branding their conduct as “appalling”. The budget carrier also said it would vigorously pursue the offenders to recover costs incurred due to the diversion and disruption, which could run into thousands of pounds.
Passengers said many were left shaken, especially families with children and elderly travellers who had no idea what was unfolding around them. However, many were quick to praise the professionalism of the flight crew, who worked to keep others safe amid the chaos. Many shared relief that the situation did not escalate further, and gratitude that authorities dealt swiftly once the aircraft was on the ground.
The aircraft eventually resumed its journey and arrived back in Manchester later that evening, but many hours behind schedule.
[Cover image credit: Alan Wilson from Peterborough, Cambs, UK, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons and Facebook]
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© Confessions of a Trolley Dolly
Utterly appalling. Viewing a video like this just makes you appreciate the cabin crew even more. No one ever signs up for this kind of behaviour. Thankfully we know the majority of pax don’t behave like this.
Jet2 did absolutely the right thing by diverting.
Well done Jet2, well done cabin crew.