Has anyone experienced police meeting a flight after disruptive passengers?

[Policeontheplane]

Has anyone experienced police on a plane?

Yesterday our flight was eventful. Some drunk people moved themselves to the empty seats in front of me and produced to drink a litre of vodka which they then dropped in front of staff. The staff removed their passports, cue their bad language getting worse. It was all made worse by the drunk man behind me deciding to egg them on. At some point of the guys in front of me apparently threatened another passenger. Air steward told pliot who presumably contacted police. As we were landing the drunk guys in front of us had a big falling out and one got out of his seat, took his suitcase out of the overhead locker and ended up swapping seat.

When we landed everyone was told to return to seats and the air steward told the man who had threatened a passenger to get his bags and escorted him off first - not sure what hapened. I suspect police were waiting for him. Other drunk passengers were just allowed to leave.

Has anyone had experience of this? Will any of them be barred from flying on the airline.

This scenario is my nightmare, being trapped on board with drunk dickheads. Well, being trapped on a plane where a pilot tries to kill his co-pilot probably has the edge.

This happened to me on the way home from Amsterdam. Group of young men who all absolutely stank of the inevitable - I suspect they had a lot with them. Met at the gate by police officers. The crew had obviously alerted them ahead of time.

Things got pretty bad on a charter flight full of pensioners heading to a cruise ship last year.
It all started when one drunken, large, family group kicked off because they demanded to sit together even though they hadn't pre-booked seats.
I felt so sorry for the staff.

On a flight back from Belfast years ago. When we were in the airport the men had to walk one by one through a room with a one way mirror wall. Women able to walk through in groups. They were obviously looking for someone specific. I assume there was a witness behind the mirrored glass.

Not alcohol but years ago I flew to America and a group of students kept trying to smoke at the back of the plane. I weirdly think they were French and trying to claim they didn't understand when they were told to stop. In the end the captain came onto the tannoy and told them if they did not stop they would be arrested in arrivals state side! They seemed to understand that.
Had BTP meet a train after reporting drunken abusive girls on my journey.
Definitely think there should be much stricter rules about alcohol/being drunk on flights.

"...Definitely think there should be much stricter rules about alcohol/being drunk on flights."

There are rules...

As far as UK registered aircraft go this is a straight C &P from the Air Navigation Order 2016

"Drunkenness in aircraft
242.—(1) A person must not enter any aircraft when drunk, or be drunk in any aircraft."

Now at many airlines the gate staff and cabin crew watch out for problems on boarding and the captain or the lead cabin crew member has the power to offload on the spot and (what follows is the important bit) can do so safe in the knowledge that they will not end up being criticised or worse still sanctioned if the offload results in the flight being delayed.

I'm far from convinced that's the case at all airlines, especially those that give the impression that punctuality and fast turnrounds are paramount.

I did, in Gran Canaria, but I wasn’t on the flight it was the plane we were going to board. It landed and police met it to take a man off who was very drunk. Can only imagine the disruption he was causing for that to happen

30 yrs ago. Flight to Miami. We were diverted to offload a drink and violent passenger and I nearly missed my connection

I was on this flight https://www.royalgazette.com/court/news/article/20230808/uk-passenger-admits-assaulting-people-on-plane-causing-flight-to-divert/
he had his daughter with him who had to stay on the flight and go back to the UK on the return flight. It was heartbreaking.

I was on a noisy flight once, it was a stag do going to Hungary but they were not that bad fortunately. I have seen a guy detained and taken when we were about to go through the gate when we arrived in Spain once.

That’s awful. Was the daughter the 27 year old who also appeared in court.

No, the daughter was probably around 11. It was really horrible to watch. The flight attendants were brilliant with her. The 27 year old actually had the option to stay on the flight with the girl (her step daughter) but said she wasn’t leaving her man 🙄 so left a child instead.

And on planes! Thursday and Friday flights to some destinations attract the lowest of the low when it comes to their right to "enjoy themselves" or start their holiday and to hell with everyone else.

Oh that's heart breaking.

Yes, that happened on a flight we were on to Ibiza.

That poor 11 year old.

Yes on holiday once around 10 years ago, I was going on big family holiday lots of kids and some guys got very drunk and rowdy ! Not guys in my party I might add! Police were waiting on tarmac and we had to stay in seats while they came onto plane to arrest them. Unfortunately I don’t think it’s that uncommon xx

Oh my goodness!! This was my exact experience - maybe we were on the same flight?!
It was hellish on both routes. When I returned to the UK from NZ, I travelled via Melbourne and Dubai. Australian woman on the flight to Dubai was equally hammered and raging about no more alcohol - apparently she fondled the man sitting next to her, passed out for a while, then began pacing around aimlessly as we were preparing for landing. Refused to sit down and buckle up. We were circling Dubai for 30-40 minutes while air staff wagered with her.
Apparently the police were waiting for her in Dubai. I can't imagine she had an easy ride with them...
Total hellscape of a long haul journey
NZ fantastic, though :D

On Our recent flight I noticed my duty free bag of gin was sealed so couldn’t be easily opened without scissors

Flown a lot both long haul and short haul and never seen any misbehaviour anywhere.

It is illegal to board an aircraft when intoxicated (Air Navigation Order 2016).

The idiots (let’s not be polite about them) tend to forget that (at least some) airport police in the UK are armed. They tend to sober up when delivered to armed officers upon landing.

ln addition further moves are now afoot to make things more difficult for those who spoil things for others
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c707pknywjno

Personally, l would like to see the courts empowered to take the passports from these people.

Those that have seen it will post about it, those that haven't usually won't comment, so there's a danger of perceptions being skewed.

l suspect you are right on this one. But on the same basis, most people don’t commit major crimes; that does not get away from the fact the aviation industry see this as a problem.

Yep. A couple of years ago flying home from Turkey with Jet2. Had to stop in Serbia middle of the night. Serbian police boarded the plane, a drunk passenger was seated at the back and they walked him the length of the plane to get him off the flight. We had to wait while they removed his luggage from the hold. He was very drunk and had apparently been abusive to staff. He was with his young family, his wife had to walk through the plane to get off, identify his case and then get back on the plane to fly home with her young kids.

I know but I'm not sure it's sledgehammer to crack a nut time.