A Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Ibiza was thrown into turmoil when a fight broke out among passengers as the aircraft prepared to land, with a cabin crew member heard shouting at a man to sit down.
The incident occurred on October 5 after a passenger allegedly stood up to use the toilet despite the seatbelt sign being illuminated.
According to a holidaymaker who witnessed the confrontation, the situation escalated into repeated physical altercations involving several people on board.
Passenger Allegedly Ignored Seatbelt Sign Before Fight Erupted
Harry Watson, 28, who was travelling on the flight, said the confrontation began as the aircraft descended towards the Spanish party island.
He explained that the man got out of his seat to use the bathroom while the seatbelt sign was still on.
When he returned, other passengers reportedly began shouting at him, with one person particularly vocal in criticising his actions.
Watson said the man reacted angrily to the remarks and became violent towards the passenger who had challenged him, triggering a fight.
According to the witness, the confrontation happened several times, with the man allegedly attacking other passengers and requiring repeated restraint.
Footage Shows Crew Member Trying to Control the Situation
Video recorded on board captured the tense atmosphere as a group of passengers gathered around a man while a female cabin crew member attempted to intervene.
The crew member can be heard shouting at him to “sit down” as the disturbance continued.
Watson also described how another passenger eventually stood up and struck the man involved in the altercation.
“There was then another guy that got up and hit the lad,” he said.
The witness’s account suggests that the incident involved multiple confrontations rather than a single brief exchange, as passengers struggled to contain the disturbance.
Fight Delays Aircraft’s Landing
The continuing violence prevented the pilots from preparing to land as planned, Watson said.
He recalled that the aircraft had to return to the air while the situation unfolded, leaving passengers increasingly frustrated by the delay.
“Everyone got very annoyed after a while, especially because the plane couldn’t land and had to go back in the air again,” he said.
Spanish Police Arrest Passenger at Ibiza Airport
Spanish police were waiting for the aircraft when it landed at Ibiza Airport.
Officers arrested and handcuffed a man before escorting him off the plane.
Ryanair confirmed that its crew had requested police assistance after a passenger became disruptive during the flight from London Stansted to Ibiza on October 5.
A spokesperson for the airline said: “Crew on this flight from London Stansted to Ibiza (5 Oct) called ahead for police assistance after a passenger became disruptive onboard.”
The spokesperson added that police met the aircraft upon arrival and removed the disruptive passenger.
Ryanair Reaffirms Zero-Tolerance Policy on Misconduct
Ryanair said it maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy towards unruly behaviour by passengers.
The airline stated that it would continue taking decisive action against misconduct to ensure passengers and crew could travel in a respectful environment without unnecessary disruption.
