When a middle-aged man swore at airline staff after he was refused a drink on a flight from Manchester to Tenerife, he got a sunshine break he had not bargained for. The pilot diverted the charter plane and dumped the troublesome holidaymaker 300 miles from his destination on a barren volcanic island off the west coast of Africa.
The 53-year-old man was confined to Porto Santo, a Portuguese-administered desert island, nine miles long and three miles wide, for 36 hours after local police questioned him over the air rage incident.
A spokeswoman for Monarch said the man had not been physically violent but the airline was considering launching legal action against him for disrupting the flight and causing an expensive unscheduled stop. The airline said the passenger would not be welcome on their aircraft again.
Too bad they had to waste time and fuel, landing and taking off from Porto Santo. They should have given him a parachute and shoved him out the door.
While I agree that the airline over-reacted, the passenger has to take SOME of the blame. Has he been living under a rock for the past several years?! If you screw up on a plane you WILL be arrested, or even shot. It’s that simple.
Heck, I wonder if this makes traveling by car statistically safer? What are the chances of homeland security shooting you in your own car when you get in an argument with your wife over directions?!
In future planes, everybody will be sedated in their own SafeBubble with an IV giving them whatever nutrients they need. Can’t cause a ruccus or hijack a plane while unconscious 😉
Mr Gomez said the tourist, whom police and airline staff refused to name, was cooperative but was now being investigated over accusations of “disruptive behaviour on an aeroplane”, an offence under Portuguese law which carries a maximum two-year prison sentence
An interesting question of jurisdiction: An Irish citizen flying from Britain to Spain [Tenerife] is – in mid-flight – subject to Portugese law simply because the pilot chooses to land there??
That must be a sobering thought to people who routinely fly on international flights! 🙂
Will he be extridited back to Portugal, if they press charges???
According to Portuguese police, the man will have to report to Lancashire police as part of the conditions of his release.
WTF?? What are they going to do if he doesn’t “report” to the Police? Is that another crime?
“An interesting question of jurisdiction: An Irish citizen flying from Britain to Spain [Tenerife] is – in mid-flight – subject to Portugese law simply because the pilot chooses to land there??”
Very interesting, as the passenger NEVER submitted to that jurisdiction. Can someone really commit a crime in open waters, be taken against his will to some random jurisdiction, and be charged there?! That doesn’t really make any sense.
Mike — I don’t know if international conventions have changed since the last time I was threatened with deportation [in the UK]; but, there always is a link back to the police department in your country of residence.
For example, in my own experience, if you were deported while in transit, the drill was to give your passport to the pilot of your exit plane. Since you also bore the expense of being deported [how’s that grab you?], you wouldn’t get your passport back from home-local police until you paid the tab to the airline.
What an asshat. The guy deserved what he got. I bet the other passengers cheered when he was escorted off the plane…… 🙂
So much for not watching TV anymore, I live in Portugal but missed this one!
I have to say that Porto Santo is a very popular tourist resort, especially in the Summer but also during the rest of the year. It basically is a HUGE beach (I think it’s around 11 or 18 kms long), and there’s very little rain. Temperatures are usually quite mild. I think this gentleman could have enjoyed his stay 🙂
I don’t know if international conventions have changed since the last time I was threatened with deportation [in the UK]; but, there always is a link back to the police department in your country of residence.
Interesting for:
1. “… the last time I was threatened with deportation …” You have all the fun! 🙂
2. I didn’t get the impression he was deported from Porto Santo, just questioned and released. He then continued on from Porto Santo (Portugal) to Tenerife (Spain) – so it doesn’t look like he had to surrender his passport.
I also find this interesting:
The Irish embassy in Lisbon said it had not handled any requests for help from the man.
According to Portuguese police, the man will have to report to Lancashire police as part of the conditions of his release. A Lancashire police spokeswoman said the force had not yet been contacted by Portuguese police.
Is Lancashire where he lives? [the flight originated in Manchester] Does he have to report by a certain date, or just whenever he returns to England?
Though not an International expert, I thought that in / over international waters, the flag of the carrier was the country of jurisdiction. Inside territorial waters then the local country would have jurisdiction.
Why do they allow passengers to drink before flying? Oh right, because it is profitable for the airport.
Why do they allow passengers to drink before flying? Oh right, because it is profitable for the airport.
😉