British passenger sentenced for causing chaos on flight from Edinburgh to Lanzarote

The man smoked in the cabin, drank unauthorised alcohol, and verbally assaulted passengers

A British passenger has been sentenced to 225 hours of community service by the Sheriff Court in Edinburgh, following a series of unacceptable behaviours during a Ryanair flight to Lanzarote on 5 July 2024, as reported by La Voz.

According to the company, “this passenger was one of three disruptive passengers whose inexcusable behaviour forced this flight to return to Edinburgh, causing 6 crew members and 178 passengers – many of whom were travelling on holiday with their families – to suffer an unnecessary disruption”.

The flight, which was scheduled to depart at 14:15, took off one and a half hours late. Several witnesses reported that even before take-off, the passenger was showing clear signs of intoxication, smoking an electronic cigarette and carrying a nearly empty bottle of vodka. During the journey, he began shouting and confronting other passengers, which led the crew to intervene and confiscate both the drink and the vaping device.

In light of the situation, and just half an hour after take-off, the pilot decided to return to Edinburgh Airport. Upon arrival, officers from the Police were waiting on the tarmac and proceeded to arrest the man, along with other involved passengers. The affected travellers remained on the aircraft for nearly another hour, which finally arrived in Lanzarote at 23:15, almost nine hours later than scheduled.

After the sentence was announced, Ryanair publicly celebrated the conviction.

“This conviction shows that we will not tolerate disruptions that jeopardise the safety or well-being of our passengers and crew,” said a spokesperson for the company. “We hope that these 225 hours of community service serve as a warning to those who think they can behave impudently on board.”

The airline also reiterated that it will maintain its zero-tolerance policy and reserves the right to take legal action against any behaviour that endangers the safety of the flight or the well-being of passengers.