Passengers on a Jet2 Airlines plane witnessed a violent altercation that included biting, headbutting, and attempted eye-gouging. The flight departed from Antalya, Turkey, bound for Leeds, England. It ended up making an emergency landing in Bulgaria due to the mid-air chaos.
What should have been a peaceful four-hour journey turned into an eight-hour ordeal for passengers aboard the Jet2 flight on December 16, 2024. According to the New York Post, the trouble began approximately 45 minutes into the flight. Two intoxicated men sitting next to each other suddenly erupted into a heated argument.
The situation quickly escalated from verbal confrontation to physical violence. One passenger reported that one of the men stood up and shouted, “F*** off, you’re doing my head in.” He then attempted to punch and “gouge the eyes out” of the other man. The ensuing brawl saw the men trading blows, headbutting each other, and one man attempting to bite the other’s neck.
Passengers And Crew In Distress On Jet2 Flight
The violent outburst left fellow travelers in shock and fear. Children on board were reportedly screaming and in tears as the fight unfolded in the cramped confines of the airplane cabin. Flight attendants struggled to contain the situation, with one crew member seen throwing her hands up in exasperation as she walked away from the melee.
Adding to the chaos, other passengers reported that a bottle was thrown from the back of the plane during the altercation. In a bizarre twist, one of the brawlers allegedly pulled out his tooth during the fight. Eyewitness accounts say the tooth was “thrown somewhere on the plane.”
The pilot diverted the flight to Sofia, Bulgaria. Here, local authorities boarded the plane and escorted the two combatants off the aircraft. The unscheduled stop turned what should have been a relatively short flight into a prolonged journey for the remaining passengers.
After the troublemakers were off the plane, the flight continued its journey but had to land at London Stansted Airport instead of its intended destination of Leeds. Passengers finally arrived at their destination around midnight, with Jet2 arranging coach transportation for the final leg of their journey.
