Doncaster Passenger Forces Plane to Turn Back During Flight: Jet2 Issues Six-Month Ban
A passenger from Doncaster caused a flight bound for Alicante to turn back mid-air and was arrested by police at Leeds Bradford Airport. The incident occurred approximately 100 miles into the flight.
The 30-year-old man caused the aircraft to perform a U-turn during the flight. Jet2 issued a six-month ban to the unnamed passenger, who is expected to appear in court. Police became aware of the incident around 7:00 PM on Monday, August 18, and intervened when the plane landed at Leeds Bradford.
A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police stated that the passenger from Doncaster was arrested on suspicion of an offence under the Aviation Security Act 1982. Later, the man, accused of boarding the aircraft while intoxicated, was released on bail and is due to appear at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on Monday, September 8.
According to FlightRadar24 data, the plane took off at 6:41 PM, made a U-turn over Leicester, and returned to Leeds Bradford, taking off again around 11:00 PM—more than four hours after the scheduled departure.
A Jet2 spokesperson said, “The passenger who caused flight LS491 from Leeds Bradford to Alicante to return, allowing police to intervene, has been banned from flying for six months due to their appalling behaviour. As a family-friendly airline, we maintain a zero-tolerance approach to disruptive passenger conduct.”
