An EasyJet flight from Liverpool landed in Tenerife this morning with the police waiting for the plane due to more than a dozen troublesome passengers on board, which led the crew to request the police presence upon arrival.
The airport authorities coordinated the presence of the agents from the National Police to guarantee the safety of all other passengers and crew who were affected by the inappropriate conduct of a group of travellers.
Air Traffic Controllers reported on Twitter that as a result of a brawl onboard flight EZY19WZ from Liverpool, their approach was made as short as possible and they were given priority to land ahead of other planes to get on the ground as quickly as possible, to prevent further disturbances on board the aircraft.
When they landed, officers boarded the plane before anyone disembarked to escort off the problem passengers who were taken into custody for questioning and will be deported back to the UK on the next available flight.
This incident happened at a time when the debate about tourism in the Canary Islands is a hot topic, and when the number of incidents on flights and at airports has increased, especially in high season when low-cost flights and large numbers of tourists arrive.
Since the incident was reported, EasyJet have released the following statement:
"EasyJet can confirm that flight EZY3365 from Liverpool to Tenerife on 22nd April was met by police due to a group of passengers behaving disruptively onboard.”
“EasyJet’s cabin crew are 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 and do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour onboard. The safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew is always easyJet's priority.”
