A flight of the Icelandic airline PLAY heading to Baltimore, Maryland in the US made an emergency landing in Canada due to an unruly passenger on board, reports RÚV.
This is the first time PLAY had to make an emergency landing for such a reason since beginning operations in 2019.
“This isn’t the first time that something has come up onboard,” confirmed Nadine Guðrún Yaghi, the PR officer for the airline. “But it is the first time that we’ve had to land somewhere because of it.”
Once the passenger started to behave disturbingly and got noisy, the crew followed the procedures: relocated other passengers sitting near the man, but the situation continued to escalate and a decision for the emergency landing was made.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police issued an announcement according to which, the flight landed in Happy Valley-Goose Bay in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada around 17:00. The men in question, a 33-year-old American, was arrested upon leaving the plane.
He will be charged over $5,000 for assaulting a crew member, interfering with the flight and causing the emergency landing. In addition, he is also charged under Canada’s Aeronautics Act “for engaging in behaviours that endangered the safety or security of an aircraft and its passengers while in flight.” It is likely that PLAY will also file charges against the man.
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