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A Tenerife to Liverpool flight was forced to turn around mid-air on Tuesday after a fight involving around ten passengers broke out on board, prompting the captain to request urgent police assistance and return to Tenerife South Airport.

 

EasyJet flight EZY3352 had been in the air for approximately 30 minutes when the disturbance began. The captain made the decision to turn back on the grounds that the fight posed a direct risk to the safety of the aircraft and everyone on board. Air traffic control prioritised the return, coordinating with ground crews to ensure police were in position and ready when the plane landed.

 

The aircraft touched down safely on Runway 07 and taxied clear without further incident. Officers boarded the plane immediately to deal with those responsible. Details of the individuals involved have not yet been released.

 

It is a scenario that will be familiar to many frequent flyers, and one that aviation authorities are increasingly concerned about. The incident is the latest in a growing pattern of disruptive passenger behaviour on flights, particularly on routes to and from the Canary Islands, though the problem is by no means limited to that corridor. Airlines and aviation authorities have repeatedly warned that aggressive or disruptive behaviour in the air carries serious consequences, including arrest, substantial fines and potential criminal prosecution, especially when the safety of the flight is compromised.

 

For the other passengers on board EZY3352, Tuesday's flight will have been a deeply unsettling experience, their holiday either cut short or significantly disrupted by the behaviour of a small number of people. For those responsible, the consequences are likely to be considerably more lasting.

 

 

 

 

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