A flight from London Gatwick to Tenerife South Airport was met by police after crew reported 12 disruptive passengers on board, prompting air traffic controllers to prioritise the aircraft’s landing.
The incident occurred on easyJet flight EZY8035 yesterday (11 June) while en route to the Canary Islands. Spanish air traffic controllers said they were alerted by the crew to the disturbance and requested a police presence at the stand ahead of arrival, as reported by Canarian Weekly.
Given the number of passengers involved and safety concerns raised, controllers coordinated with airport authorities to expedite the aircraft’s arrival and ensure officers were in place to meet the flight on landing.
The aircraft was given priority handling into Tenerife South Airport, with controllers shortening its approach path to allow a more direct descent and reduce time in the air.
Despite the incident on board, the flight landed safely without further disruption.
Authorities have not yet announced whether any arrests have been made.
The incident comes amid ongoing reports of disruptive passenger behaviour on flights into Tenerife and other Canary Island destinations.
A spokesperson for easyJet said: “Flight EZY8035 from London Gatwick to Tenerife yesterday was met by police on arrival due to a group of passengers behaving disruptively onboard.
“Our cabin crew are trained to assess all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other customers is not compromised at any time. We take these incidents seriously and do not tolerate disruptive behaviour onboard.
“The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is always easyJet’s highest priority.”
