Flight diverts 1,800 miles after man throws food, attempts to set fire to blanket and strips off in cabin

Fellow passengers describe incident onboard Lufthansa service as ‘scary’

The plane was delayed by two hours due to the on-board row (Getty Images)

An angry confrontation between a husband and wife forced a plane to land more than 1,800 miles away from its intended destination.

The Lufthansa flight had left Munich for Bangkok on Tuesday evening, with an uneventful first few hours in the air.

But later in the journey a row erupted between a German man and his Thai wife after she told staff on board that she felt “threatened” by his behaviour.

This led to the husband throwing food, attempting to set his blanket on fire with a lighter, smashing his mobile phone and undressing in the cabin, reports Bild.

He is also alleged to have shouted “I’ll kill you all” while ignoring instructions from cabin crew.

The pilots made the decision to divert the flight and land at Delhi airport, where soldiers came on board and escorted the passenger from the aircraft.

A Lufthansa spokesperson told The Independent: “The flight had to be diverted to Delhi due to an unruly passenger on board. The person in question was handed over to the authorities.”

They added that “safety on board is the top priority for our passengers and crew”.

One passenger described the situation as “spooky”, telling Bild that “all passengers had to remain seated and there was a loudspeaker announcement that it was forbidden to film or take photographs.”

Another said: “There was dead silence on board. It was a scary situation.”

The plane was delayed for two hours before continuing to Thailand’s capital.

It’s not the first time a couple has fought while at altitude.

In October 2020, an easyJet passenger was allegedly slapped by his wife after delivering an anti-mask tirade onboard a flight.

The unnamed man was filmed shouting at fellow travellers, telling them to “fight back” and saying: “I’m serious, get them off, get them off.”

“I tell you what, God help you, the longer you wear those masks, God help you,” he said in a video shared online at the time.

He is heard shouting at a woman, who is reportedly his wife, “shut up you f***ing imbecile”, before she allegedly slapped him.