The confined space of an aircraft creates an intimate environment, but not one where most would expect chaos. Yet, a select few passengers have caused scenes that descended into disorder and even violence after consuming alcohol on board.
This comes after Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary argued that early morning airport pints should be banned due to the detrimental consequences of drunken passengers boarding aircraft. He stated that his airline is forced to divert flights almost daily because of drunk, aggressive passengers, and the problem is worsening. To curb such behaviour, the budget carrier chief wants airport bars to stop serving alcohol early and align with licensing rules of pubs outside airports.
Here, we compile a list of some of the worst incidents of drunken behaviour on board, from vomiting passengers to those hurling abuse at fellow travellers and cabin crew.
'Party flight' to Ibiza
A Ryanair flight destined for Ibiza descended into partying chaos as passengers began singing and dancing. Those involved said the atmosphere was positive, with children joining in the fun. The rowdy flight from Newcastle upon Tyne to Ibiza on 26 April this year turned into a mid-air party as dancing passengers ignored furious cabin crew.
Brandon Stephenson, 28, was among revellers getting into the clubbing mood early while cruising at 30,000ft. He got fellow passengers involved after blasting music from a speaker, much to the annoyance of one crew member. Footage shared online has since racked up over 250,000 views and 10,500 likes.
'Everyone on the plane was happy other than one member of the cabin crew who kept shouting at us,' Brandon, from Hartlepool, told creatorzine.com. 'But we didn't listen and just kept partying. Normally I am a nervous flyer so this eased my anxiety a lot. The atmosphere was very good, there were even young kids there dancing and singing along with us.'
Passengers can be seen standing in the aisles dancing, laughing, and drinking while cabin crew attempt to navigate through the plane. Brandon appeared to lead the airborne bash after being the first to get up and dance before other excited Brits joined in. However, not everyone online was impressed. The 28-year-old claimed he has received 'death threats' and abuse since posting the footage on social media.
Rowdy stag do
In another incident, a rowdy British stag party forced an easyJet flight to divert after members were seen vaping in their seats and abusing cabin crew in May last year. Six men were escorted off the plane in Faro, Portugal, hundreds of miles from their destination of Marrakech.
Witness Arron Davies, travelling with his friends, reported feeling disgusted by the events. He claimed two members of the group were vaping in their seats while drinking heavily and being abusive towards the stewards.
Vomiting over family
An airplane passenger allegedly vomited all over a family sitting near her, then spat wine on them and eventually passed out on a British Airways flight from Heathrow to San Diego last August. The captain was forced to call officers on the other side to request they meet the plane upon landing.
FBI operatives arrested the woman, described as the 'ultimate passenger from hell' by other customers, on arrival in California. Stunned passengers had first spotted the woman downing a bottle of wine she had sneaked into the cabin in her hand luggage, as reported by The Sun at the time. The passenger claimed to be indulging in a 'few drinks' for her birthday, but according to others, she was 'off her face' by the time the flight reached 30,000 ft.
The traveller started hurling insults at a couple and their daughter sitting behind her while continuing to drink. She was also seen walking unsteadily up the aisle towards the toilet and uttering incomprehensible sentences. A witness said: 'She slugged as much wine as she could, got up from her seat, and intentionally spat the wine swilling around her mouth into their faces. It was disgusting and rancid.'
The passenger was spotted throwing water at the family, tugging the mother's hair, and taking pictures of the shocked trio. She then vomited on her fellow travellers, prompting anger from those nearby. At this point, cabin crew issued a 'final warning' and moved the victim family from economy to the front of the plane.
Mid-pandemic brawl
A further incident saw two drunken English passengers on a KLM flight from Amsterdam to Ibiza refusing to wear masks on board in August 2020. KLM required passengers to wear face masks from the first boarding call until arrival at their destination during the Covid-19 pandemic. A brawl broke out in mid-air, ending with the Brits being arrested by Spanish police upon landing.
Both men were restrained with the help of other passengers and later arrested by Spanish police on arrival in Ibiza after the pilot informed local authorities, as reported by The Independent. A spokesperson for the airline said: 'Two unruly passengers refused to wear their face masks and they were bothering their fellow passengers physically and verbally. The pilot informed the local authorities and upon arrival, both passengers were arrested. The flight safety was not compromised during the flight.'
An Instagram user, MicHighClub, posted footage and claimed the passenger had been drinking vodka and refused to wear face masks.
Meltdown over 'fat' neighbour
In the US, an entitled plane passenger was caught having a drunk meltdown after she was forced to 'sit next to a f***ing fat lady' on a cross-country flight. The 32-year-old repeatedly pulled another female passenger's hair, spat in her face, and kicked her on a Southwest Airlines plane at LaGuardia Airport in New York en route to Kansas City last June.
Several clips also showed the woman screaming at the unidentified passenger over her weight and clothing. The 'intoxicated passenger' appeared to get verbally confrontational, then gripped the other woman's hair and screamed: 'Shut the f*** up, don't f***ing touch me!' Several people stepped in, including two Southwest employees and another passenger, seemingly trying to de-escalate the situation. A female employee repeatedly asked the woman to let go, but she refused. A traveller who recorded the scene told Daily Mail that the woman was so aggressive she even 'knocked the glasses off the Southwest employee.'
