“It concerns me that alcohol is even allowed in the cockpit, if it was open or not," said Jet2 passenger Steve Lewis. (Reuters)
A rowdy group of men jetting off to a bachelor party in Ibiza managed to get their entire flight diverted after exhibiting “appalling and aggressive” behavior, Jet2 confirmed.
The flight, which had left from Birmingham, England, on Friday, was rerouted to Toulouse, France, after the group of 27 men ignored repeated warnings from the flight crew to curb their behavior, BBC reports.
SPIRIT AIRLINES PASSENGER HAS CURSE-FILLED OUTBURST DURING EMERGENCY LANDING
Representatives for Jet2 claim the group had been consuming alcohol at the airport prior to the flight, and that one member of the party, who was too drunk and aggressive upon boarding, was even denied admittance to the plane before it left from Birmingham.
Once the rest of the crew boarded, the group continued to display “aggressive and disruptive” behavior, though the airline did not say specifically what the behavior entailed. Jet2 did reveal, however, that the men had also been “illicitly” consuming alcohol on the plane, which contributed to their “deplorable” conduct.
Police were reportedly waiting for the aircraft upon landing in Toulouse, according to the BBC. One of the men was also slapped with a lifetime ban from Jet2.
VERBALLY ABUSIVE JET2 PASSENGER PLAYING WITH BLOW-UP DOLL BANNED FOR LIFE FROM AIRLINE
The airline has also cited the incident in a call to “control the sale and consumption of alcohol and tax free goods at airports,” according to a news release.
“This is the second time that disruptive passenger behavior has caused one of our flights to be diverted in just a few weeks, so enough is enough,” said Jet2 marketing director Phil Ward, referring to an incident earlier in June in which another man was banned for life for being intoxicated and playing with a blow-up doll on a flight.
“Proper measures need putting in place by the industry and government to ensure that our crew and customers can fly in a safe, trouble-free environment,” added Ward.
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Ryanair has also recently called for stricter alcohol regulations after a string of disruptive incidents. (Reuters)
Jet2 isn’t the only low-cost European carrier calling for stricter alcohol sales at airports.
Last week, following an alcohol-related incident on a Ryanair flight, the airline called for a two-drink minimum for all passengers passing through Ireland's airports, as well as restrictions on the hours in which alcoholic beverages can be sold.
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