A RYANAIR flight bound for Dublin plane had to divert to northern Spain after an Irish couple became 'aggressive' in flight.
The pilot of Ryanair flight FR7063 diverted to Santander after asking police to meet the aircraft an hour into its scheduled flight on Wednesday, January 10.
According to reports, the couple had been arguing with each other after allegedly having too much to drink but were not targeting other passengers.
The pilot made an unscheduled landing just before 4pm at Seve Ballesteros-Santander Airport, and left an hour later at 5pm after the passengers were offloaded.
They were not arrested, but may face a fine from the Spanish Aviation and Security Agency.
A spokesman for the Civil Guard in Cantabria confirmed an Irish couple had been removed from the plane after it touched down.
He said: "The pilot asked us to attend because he didn't want two people who were on the plane and being aggressive to continue their journey.
"The couple left the aircraft voluntarily after we went on board and did not have to be removed by force.
"Their personal details were recorded and they were informed they were being reported for breaching air security.
"They won't face any criminal charges but are likely to receive a fine from AESA, the state body that will now move things forward.
"I cannot comment on what happened in the plane because it wasn't something the Civil Guard witnessed. The message from the plane was that they were being aggressive."
A spokeswoman for Ryanair said: “This flight from Alicante to Dublin diverted to Santander after two passengers became disruptive inflight.
"The aircraft landed normally and the passengers were removed and detained by police upon arrival, before the aircraft continued to Dublin.
"We will not tolerate unruly or disruptive behaviour at any time and the safety and comfort of our customers, crew and aircraft is our number one priority.
"This is now a matter for local police."
The spokeswoman added that it is for reasons such as this that the airline are calling for changes to prohibit the sale of alcohol at airports, such as a two drink limit per passenger.
"It’s incumbent on the airports to introduce these preventative measures to curb excessive drinking and the problems it creates, rather than allowing passengers to drink to excess before their flights," she said.
