A “disruptive” passenger on a Ryanair flight from Dublin to Tenerife has been arrested after attacking four police officers upon landing.
The man, who is believed to be Irish, arrived in the Canary Island and immediately clashed with officials after refusing to wear a mask and wanting to smoke in the airport compound, both expressly prohibited under new coronavirus regulations.
All four officers were reported to have been injured, with two required to take medical leave.
The incident, which is understood to have occurred at Tenerife’s south airport last Thursday, escalated after four Civil Guards confronted the man on the runway.
According to Spanish newspaper Diario de Avisos, the man had clearly been drinking alcohol.
“The events were triggered when the man disembarked with obvious symptoms of intoxication, being interviewed by four Civil Guards on the platform of the runway,” reported The Mirror.
Upon transferring him for identification, the man then began to punch and kick the agents.
A spokesman for Ryanair confirmed: “This disruptive passenger was removed from a Ryanair aircraft in Tenerife on Thursday, September 3rd.
”He became further disruptive with the Guardia Civil and was placed under arrest by them. As this is now a police matter we cannot comment further.“
Last month, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned passengers to wear masks “for the safety of all passengers and crew” following reports that some travellers were refusing to do so.
“While this is confined to a very small number of individuals, some on-board incidents have become violent, resulting in costly and extremely inconvenient diversions to offload these passengers,” said IATA director general and CEO Alexandre de Juniac.
“This is a call for common sense and taking responsibility. The vast majority of travellers understand the importance of face covering both for themselves as well as for their fellow passengers, and airlines appreciate this collective effort.”
He noted that “a small minority create problems”, however.
“Safety is at the core of aviation, and compliance with crew safety instructions is the law. Failure to comply can jeopardise a flight's safety, disrupt the travel experience of other passengers and impact the work environment for crew.“
IATA warned that passengers in possession of a ticket agree to an airline’s terms and conditions, which includes their right to refuse carriage to people whose behaviour is inappropriate or violates government regulations.
The Guardia Civil have been approached for comment.
