A Toronto-Bound Plane Had To Land In Iceland After A Man Tried To Open The Doors Mid-Flight
He was tackled by other passengers after becoming violent.
A LOT Polish flight. Right: A flight attendant helps a passenger inside a flight.
A plane travelling from Poland to Toronto was recently forced to land in Iceland after a passenger became aggressive and attempted to open the doors of the aircraft mid-flight.
LOT Polish Airlines confirmed to Narcity that on Thursday, August 11, the "extremely aggressive behaviour" of a traveller on flight LO41 from Warsaw prompted the plane's pilot to make an emergency landing in Keflavik, Iceland.
According to CP24, the passenger became violent to the point where he was spitting on other people, shouting and throwing water bottles at flight attendants, and even reportedly tried opening the aircraft door midair.
The article reports that, at one point, the individual became so violent, it took five other passengers to tackle and subdue the man in the plane's aisle.
The incident reportedly occurred because airline employees refused to serve him alcohol.
LOT Polish Airlines did not confirm this but said, "the aggressive passenger was escorted from the aircraft by the police" after the flight landed in Iceland.
"As a consequence of the violation of the personal integrity of a cabin crew member and the working schedule of the crew, the aircraft had to return to Warsaw," the airline stated.
This meant that the passengers travelling to Canada were stuck in Keflavik, Iceland, temporarily over the weekend.
The carrier says affected travellers were "provided with amenities in accordance with current regulations," as well as alternative connections.
A spokesperson did not state whether any charges had been filed against the passenger who prompted the early landing.
LOT Polish Airlines told CP24 that no one had been physically hurt during the incident but said cabin crew were left "extremely stressed."
This seems to be the latest among a series of incidents that have plagued air travel in Canada all summer.
Those who have been flying over the last few months have had to deal with flights being delayed or cancelled, as well as long wait times to renew their passports.
And now, unruly passengers seem to be just another factor to take into consideration before booking that next flight.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.