An easyJet flight bound for the UK was forced to turn back to Tenerife after a fight reportedly broke out between a group of passengers on board. The incident occurred on flight EZY3352 from Tenerife South to Liverpool shortly before 8pm local time on Tuesday.
Details of the Incident
Spanish air traffic controllers stated that around 10 passengers were involved in the disturbance and that the crew requested permission to return to the airport, asking for police to be waiting on arrival. In a statement, they said: "The crew of the flight from Tenerife South to Liverpool informed us, after about 30 minutes in the air, that they needed to return to the airport and requested a police presence upon arrival. A group of around 10 passengers had started a fight on board, and the captain decided to turn back because of the danger this posed to the safety of the flight. We expedited their return as much as possible while coordinating with the airport to ensure a police presence. They landed and vacated runway 07 without incident."
Airline Response
An easyJet spokesperson confirmed the aircraft returned to Tenerife after a group of passengers behaved disruptively. They said: "Flight EZY3352 from Tenerife to Liverpool yesterday returned to the airport and was met by police due to a group of passengers behaving disruptively. The flight then continued to Liverpool. Our cabin and ground crew are trained to assess all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other customers is not compromised at any time. We take these incidents very seriously and do not tolerate disruptive behaviour towards our staff. The safety and wellbeing of customers and crew is always our highest priority."
Aftermath
The aircraft later resumed its journey, with Flightradar24 data showing it departed Tenerife South Airport at 10.18pm local time before landing at Liverpool John Lennon Airport at 2.19am BST. It is not yet clear what sparked the incident, whether anyone was arrested, or the nationalities of those involved.
