An EasyJet flight from Turkey to London turned into a nightmare after a teenager’s disruptive behaviour forced an emergency landing in Italy, leaving passengers furious.
The incident took place last week aboard Flight EZY8556 from Antalya to Gatwick when a 16-year-old girl, reportedly travelling with her mother and grandmother, became aggressive over a 10-year-old passenger’s coughing fit, as reported by the Sun.
Nadine, 39, from Reading, who was travelling with her daughter Jernai, 19, described the ordeal as a “flight from hell.”
“We went to Turkey for Christmas, where we had a really lovely holiday at a hotel called Aska Lara. But then it turned to hell on the flight home. It’s ruined my Christmas,” Nadine told the Sun.
The teenager allegedly followed the young girl to the toilet and blocked her from leaving. When the girl’s mother intervened, the teen became abusive, prompting the crew to separate them.
Things escalated when the teen stormed to the back of the plane, reportedly attempting to open an emergency exit and breaking the handle.
“She just started shouting abuse at the crew members and then stormed to the back of the plane,” Nadine recounted to the Sun. “She was trying to open the door, and she broke the handle. The crew members pulled her away and restrained her.”
The chaos continued as the teen ran down the aisle and crashed into a woman coming out of the restroom, pushing them both into the cockpit door, which swung open.
“At one point, she took off her shoes and threw them at passengers. Everyone was so nervous,” Nadine said.
The pilots decided to divert the flight for safety reasons, landing in Bari, Italy. Police escorted the disruptive teen off the plane, and passengers were taken to a local hotel to spend the night.
However, the ordeal didn’t end there. Passengers described the accommodation as filthy and uninhabitable. “When we arrived at the hotel in Bari, we were horrified,” Nadine said. “The sheets were filthy, the bathroom had mould, and the door didn’t lock. The room was freezing cold with a little radiator that didn’t work.”
EasyJet issued a statement confirming the diversion, saying, “It was met by police due to a passenger behaving disruptively onboard. EasyJet’s cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and acted quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers was not compromised at any time.”
The airline apologised for the inconvenience and assured passengers they would be reimbursed for any expenses incurred.
However, Nadine remained disappointed, saying, “EasyJet has not apologised. There’s been no compensation. It ruined my Christmas.”
