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Man tackled by passengers after trying to open Ryanair plane door moments before take-off

Airline has apologised to others on the flight

Benjamin Parker
Wednesday 05 July 2023 08:08 BST
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Clips on TikTok show the incident – and the aftermath
Clips on TikTok show the incident – and the aftermath (Tik/Tok/officialgeorgeyboy1)

A man had to be tackled and restrained by other passengers on board a Ryanair flight after he became disruptive and tried to open the door moments before take-off.

In a video uploaded to TikTok, a man can be seen getting up from his seat on a packed flight, removing his sunglasses and gesturing wildly at others on board before making his way down the aisle.

He can be heard repeatedly shouting “open the door”, and is only stopped when two passengers tackle him to the ground as comments such as “get him out” ring around the cabin.

A second video from the same TikTok user shows the man being dragged off the runway in Zadar, Croatia, by authorities. Police said the man resisted arrest and was taken to hospital. He is now in custody on suspicion of assaulting an officer, The Mirror reports.

The majority of passengers on the flight bound for London were returning from Croatian music festival Hideout, which took place at the end of June on the island of Pag.

A Ryanair spokesperson told The Independent: “This flight from Zadar to London Stansted (30 June) returned to stand after an individual passenger became disruptive while preparing for take-off. The passenger was removed from the aircraft by local police before this flight continued safely to London Stansted.

“This is now a matter for local police. We sincerely apologise to affected passengers for any inconvenience caused as a result of this passenger’s disruptive behaviour.”

This disruption follows similar incidents on planes in recent months.

At the end of June, a man was arrested for allegedly urinating and defecating on the floor of a Delhi-bound aircraft, only a few months after a man travelling from New York to Delhi was arrested after allegedly urinating on a passenger during an argument.

At the start of May, a passenger was voted off her Frontier Airlines flight after the traveller got into an argument with other people on the plane.

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