Kenneth Glad
A routine departure from the Spanish capital was interrupted when officers were asked to intervene on board. The delay left holidaymakers waiting as the airline worked to resolve the situation before take-off.
A Ryanair flight preparing to leave Madrid was forced to stop just before departure after a disturbance in the cabin.
Police were called to the aircraft, leaving passengers waiting for around two hours.
The Daily Mail reported that the incident happened February 12 shortly after pushback, as the plane was taxiing toward the runway. The service was due to fly to Ibiza, the Spanish Mediterranean island known for its busy holiday season.
According to the newspaper other travellers had already noticed the man’s behaviour during boarding.
Tension before take-off
One traveller told the Daily Mail: “We were boarding and already saw the young man making a scene, talking loudly on the phone, shouting, and everyone was watching him.”
The same passenger added: “He kept using his phone, and then they reprimanded him. The plane had to stop, attendants approached him, he took off his seatbelt, until a fellow passenger told him enough was enough. It was chaotic.”
The newspaper reported that crew members repeatedly asked the man, described by witnesses as drunk, to turn off his phone. Passengers said he ignored them, shouted across the cabin and at one point hit parts of the aircraft interior in frustration.
Staff tried to calm things down while the plane was still moving, and another passenger told him to stop, but it carried on. With the situation escalating and the aircraft still on the taxiway, the pilots decided to halt and call for police.
Officers boarded soon after and escorted the passenger off. The flight later continued to Ibiza.
Separate travel issue
The disruption comes at a time when Ryanair has also been in the headlines over its check-in rules. The airline moved to a mostly digital boarding system last year and charges passengers who arrive without checking in online first.
Fees can reach roughly 64 Euros per person. Other major European carriers generally include airport check-in in the ticket price.
Online check-in closes two hours before departure, and anyone who leaves it until they reach the airport may have to pay. For families travelling together, the total can quickly climb.
Sources: Daily Mail
