Mid-air brawl forces Cancun-London flight to make emergency landing in US

A TUI Airways flight from Cancun to London was forced to make an emergency landing in the United States earlier this week after a mid-air brawl broke out between two passengers. Their fellow passengers alleged that the brawling flyers, reportedly a couple, were “smoking in the toilet”.

Flight BY49, which was headed to London’s Gatwick Airport, diverted to Bangor International Airport in Maine around 9.30 pm local time on Tuesday, according to the New York Post. The incident left the aircraft passengers stranded for over 17 hours.

The BBC reported that the altercation occurred between two passengers. Audio recordings accessed by the BBC captured the pilot informing air traffic control: “Cockpit is secure and there are two passengers fighting, and the crew has pretty much got them under control.”

A spokesperson for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told the BBC that officers removed both individuals from the aircraft upon arrival. “Although no criminal charges were filed, CBP processed the two subjects for expedited removal,” the spokesperson said.

CBP clarified that the situation involved a foreign-to-foreign flight that diverted due to an in-flight altercation between two passengers.

PASSENGER SHARES ORDEAL

While passengers were initially informed that the flight would resume once paperwork was completed, the passengers were forced to wait longer than prepared. British passenger Terry Lawrance, 66, told Southwest News Service about the moments when the chaos took place which left all the passengers on board stranded for over 17 hours.

“Everybody was fed up…About three hours later, around the border with Canada and he came on to let us know that the plane was being diverted to Bangor, Maine,” recounted Lawrance.

Talking about the couple who disrupted the flight, Lawrence said,“They were obviously drunk, and he basically assaulted his partner.”

Lawrence said that travellers were left on board for another five hours before being moved to what he described as a cramped, military-style lounge. “It was like a warzone in a lounge, rows and rows of beds. All our luggage was still on the plane while we waited.”

Due to the delay, the original flight crew surpassed their legal working hours, rendering them unable to continue. A replacement crew had to be flown in from the UK, extending the passengers’ wait until 3 pm the next day—17 and a half hours after the emergency landing.

All passengers eventually arrived safely in London, but the ordeal sparked widespread frustration.

SOCIAL MEDIA REACTS

On social media, users called for strict penalties against the couple responsible, with some suggesting they should be held financially liable for the costs incurred by the airline and inconvenienced passengers.

“Did the smokers get arrested? Will they pay for the fuel and expenses?” one user asked. Another suggested the TSA should ban cigarettes outright.

Others questioned the airline’s response, with one commenter writing, “They should’ve arrested them at the gate—not grounded the entire plane.”

– Ends