A Ryanair flight was forced to turn back to the UK after a passenger attempted to “open the emergency door” mid air, according to Flight Aware.
It comes after the airline announced earlier this year that passengers who disrupt Ryanair flights could now face a hefty fine as part of a “major clampdown” on “unruly behaviour”.
The flight, which was destined for Agadir, Morocco, took off shortly after 9am on Monday.
But, it was forced to turn back and land at Manchester Airport just over an hour later, according to Flight Radar 24 and Flight Aware, due to a passenger attempting to “open the emergency exit” during the flight.
The woman passenger allegedly managed to get the plastic covering off, while fellow passengers attempted to intervene and quickly alerted the cabin crew to the situation.
She was eventually relocated from her seat near to the emergency exit, which the captain remained close to for the duration of the flight as a precaution.
Upon arrival at Manchester Airport, the passenger was reportedly escorted off the aircraft by Greater Manchester Police.
While the plane remained on the tarmac, engineers boarded to assess any potential damage. Some components required replacement before the aircraft was cleared for departure again.
Ryanair has said it has a “strict zero tolerance policy” towards passenger misconduct.
A spokesperson from Ryanair told The Standard: “This flight from Manchester to Agadir (25 Aug) diverted to back to Manchester shortly after take off after a passenger became disruptive onboard.
“Crew called ahead for police assistance, who met the aircraft upon landing at Manchester Airport and offloaded this passenger before this flight continued to Agadir.
“Ryanair has a strict zero tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct and will continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour, ensuring that all passengers and crew travel in a safe and respectful environment, without unnecessary disruption.”
