SkyTeam member Middle East Airlines had to divert its flight ME203 from Beirut to London on Wednesday after a passenger assaulted a flight attendant and then got into a fist fight with another passenger who rose to the crew member’s defense.
“It all started when the old man started shouting and swearing at a passenger and his wife and then he punched that passenger. Then a flight attendant tried to break it off and that old man pushed her violently, another flight attendant came to help and the man punched her.”
…“This is when the young man in the video got involved and tried to stop the old man. Most passengers were really scared of the guy, he was violent, swearing extremely filthy things constantly. He was really scary.
The old man was calling the stewardess filthy names and he kept saying that he will [expletive] everyone…the young guy shouting at him saying that as soon as we land police will take you, and then the old guy answered ‘I am gonna [expletive] you and [expletive] the police.’”
It’s apparently after this that the following video picks up:
The pilot put the Airbus A320 down in Istanbul and “four security members got on the plane and took the old man out.” He did not, apparently, keep his word to ‘expletive the police.’ And in fact he was lucky no one on the plane shouted that the man being removed was a Gülenist, or the consequences for him would likely be far worse.
The flight ultimately continued on to London Heathrow, arriving 2 hours 46 minutes late.
Captain Oveur: “Joey, have you ever been in a Turkish prison?”
Since when is being mid-40s or thereabouts ‘old’ ?? I expected to see someone in their 80s flailing around, until I saw the actual video.
I’m with you coolhand….”old man”
Makes me feel really old
@CoolHandLuke, agreed LOL!
I fault the airlines for allowing alcohol, cramped space, not sufficient crew members, etc.
Flying today is not like the good old days of the early sixtees.