Passenger, aged 16, was reportedly irritated by the coughing fit of a child sitting next to her
SÃO PAULO, SP (UOL/FOLHAPRESS) – An EasyJet plane had to make an emergency landing in Italy after a teenager got angry, attacked the crew and tried to open the aircraft’s exit door.
The 16-year-old passenger was reportedly irritated by the coughing fit of a child sitting next to her. The plane had left Turkey towards London, but diverted to Bari, Italy, amid the confusion generated on the flight, last Sunday (27).
The teen followed the child into the bathroom to confront him. According to The New York Times, the young woman lost control when the youngest girl’s mother and the crew tried to intervene in the conflict.
She allegedly shouted at the employees and then ran to the back of the aircraft. One of the passengers who witnessed the situation told The Sun newspaper that the teenager broke the door handle when trying to open it. “Flight from hell,” he told the vehicle.
The girl also threatened to stab one of the crew members who was trying to calm her down. Then, the girl ran down a corridor, collided with a woman who was coming out of the bathroom and the impact between the two caused the door to the pilots’ cabin to open.
Pilots decided to land. The airline told The Sun that its customers were not in danger on the plane, but that stopping the flight was the safest course of action.
Young woman was questioned by police at Bari airport. Meanwhile, the other passengers were taken to hotels in the region until the flight resumed.
“We did everything we could to minimize the impact of the diversion by providing hotel accommodation and meals. We have advised customers that we will reimburse any expenses incurred,” EasyJet told The Sun.
