A flight from Madrid to Santo Domingo was forced to return to Spain after a drunk passenger attempted to open the emergency exit mid-flight. The incident occurred on Air Europa flight UX89, which had reached Portuguese airspace when the pilot decided to turn back.
Witnesses reported that the unnamed man, described as visibly upset and smelling strongly of alcohol, lunged for the cabin door shortly after takeoff. Fellow passengers subdued him and held him until the aircraft landed at Madrid-Barajas Airport, approximately 40 minutes after departure.
The plane had to release a large amount of fuel to comply with weight limits for landing. Spanish police arrested the man upon touchdown. The flight eventually departed again three hours later and landed in Santo Domingo at 10.43pm local time.
An Air Europa spokesperson confirmed the incident, stating: 'The plane landed 40 minutes after departure. It took off three hours later. Air Europa complied with its policies and we had a happy ending.' Despite the scare, experts note that cabin doors cannot be opened during flight due to cabin pressure and additional security latches.
