Airline Passenger Punches Crew, Tries Opening Flight Door Mid-Air, Forcing Emergency Landing

An EasyJet passenger assaulted the crew and tried to open the plane door, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing. The incident took place onboard an EasyJet flight from Spain to the United Kingdom on Sunday.

The 49-year-old passenger, identified as Lisa, was drinking red wine from a cold drink bottle throughout the flight. Just 45 minutes before the flight’s arrival at London Southend Airport, the passenger began screaming.

Recalling the incident, a co-passenger said the woman “flew down the aisle, screaming and swearing. She punched one of the crew in the face then kicked another into the emergency door. We thought she was going to bash the door down.” The crew held her until the flight landed at the U.K. airport, 20 minutes before time.

Essex Police was contacted following reports that "a passenger on an in-flight bound to Southend Airport had assaulted cabin crew staff".

"Officers attended and arrested a 49-year-old woman on suspicion of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. She has been questioned and released on bail until Sept. 27,” Essex Police spokesperson said.

EasyJet said the passenger was taken into custody at the Southend Airport for "behaving disruptively.”

"EasyJet's cabin crew is trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time. Whilst such incidents are rare, we take them very seriously, do not tolerate abusive or threatening behavior on board. The safety and well-being of passengers and crew is always EasyJet’s priority,” the airline said in a statement.

In a similar incident in August, an EasyJet flight was diverted after two passengers became aggressive toward the crew. The flight from London to Gibraltar landed in France where police officers boarded the flight and forcefully escorted out the two passengers.

Recalling the incident, a co-passenger had said, “Once the flight landed, passengers were vocal when coming off the plane past us. The staff on the flight were very honest with us when we got on board and informed us all fully that the couple were disembarked in France due to aggression and violence towards the crew which made the flight unsafe to continue."