An eight-year-old boy prevented a Jet2 flight from being diverted after calming a disruptive passenger, showing a maturity 'far, far beyond his years'. Phoenix Rose was returning from Turkey with his father James due to a family emergency when a fellow passenger began causing trouble.
The woman, who had been drinking whiskey from a bottle she brought on board, became irate and started shouting and swearing. Flight attendants confiscated the bottle and warned her, but she refused to calm down, leading the pilot to decide the flight would have to be diverted.
Desperate to get home, James asked a flight attendant to give him a chance to intervene. After swapping seats, Phoenix took control: he got out his cards, sang 'Dance Monkey', and talked to the woman about football, his YouTube channel, and her children for three and a half hours. 'It was just phenomenal to see him,' James said.
The story went viral, with American news outlets also contacting the family. Jet2 has offered the family free flights to a destination of their choice and is sending Phoenix a goodie bag. James described his son as 'a naturally nice kid who is polite and helps anyone he can'.
