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'Abusive and unruly passenger wrestled to floor after trying to open plane door' on flight to Luton

Police were called after a passenger tried to open a plane door on a flight to Luton (file photo): Shutterstock / LandFox
Police were called after a passenger tried to open a plane door on a flight to Luton (file photo): Shutterstock / LandFox

An "abusive and unruly" plane passenger was wrestled to the floor by fellow travellers as he tried to open an emergency door on board a flight, witnesses said.

Police were called to London’s Luton Airport shortly before 11pm on Saturday to deal with a “disruptive passenger” on a flight from Poland.

A witness told the BBC he was prevented from opening the door by passengers who “wrestled him to the floor”.

Police said he was arrested on suspicion of endangering an aircraft following the incident on board the Wizz Air flight W61005 from Katowice International Airport in southern Poland.

Passenger David Salon, 44, told the BBC that about 30 minutes before landing the man “walked from the front of the plane and sat next to a woman by the emergency exit over the wing”.

He added: “Suddenly he lunged across her and tried to open the door. She was terrified.

“Luckily there were three big Polish men in the row behind and they and some other passengers wrestled him to the floor and sat on him.”

The air crew restrained the man’s hands using seatbelts until the plane landed.

Passengers were asked to remain seated until police arrived and took the suspect away.

Bedfordshire Police confirmed the arrested man was initially taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries before being taken to a station for questioning.

A spokeswoman for Wizz Air said: “On Wizz Air flight W6 1005 from Katowice to London Luton on July 22 a passenger is reported to become unruly and abusive.

"The Wizz crew on duty followed standard procedures to ensure the continued safe operation of the flight. Upon landing, the passenger was handed over to the respective authorities.

"Safety and security are the top priorities of the airline and there is zero tolerance for abusive behavior towards our passengers and staff. This is now a matter for the police.”