A passenger allegedly urinated on another traveller, sparking a massive brawl on board an Air Meditarranee flight, say French media.
The plane was flying from the Algerian capital of Algiers to Paris when the mid-air drama unfolded yesterday afternoon, forcing the aircraft to divert to Lyon.
Passengers described a scene of chaos as a shirtless man who was allegedly responsible for the bizarre incident was overpowered by crew.
Flight ML2673 was halfway through its 90-minute journey when one of its 166 passengers reportedly became unruly because he wasn’t allowed to smoke or drink alcohol on board, French media reported.
He allegedly urinated on a fellow passenger and caused a fight that ended with him being pinned down and detained by flight attendants.
For safety reasons the pilot decided to land the Airbus A321 at Lyon’s international airport, where the man was escorted off the aircraft by police.
A second man who was involved in the fight was also removed from the plane.
The plane eventually took off again and passengers arrived at Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport three hours behind schedule.
MailOnline Travel has contacted Air Mediterranee for comment.
The charter airline, based in Toulouse, uses Charles de Gaulle Airport as its hub to operate a number of domestic flights and international routes to destinations such as the Canary Islands, Paphos, Greece, and Beirut.
Although bizarre, similar disturbances have occurred in the past.
Last September, a 27-year-old man was arrested at Portland International Airport in Oregon after he allegedly urinated on fellow passengers on a JetBlue flight from Anchorage, Alaska.
The man, who had been sleeping for most of the flight, stood up and began urinating through the space between the seats in front of him.
A police report said he lost his balance and fell backwards, spraying urine on other passengers, seats and luggage.
In 2011, French actor Gerard Depardieu was kicked off a CityJet flight from Paris to Dublin after he urinated in the aisle while the plane was taxiing to a runway.
He informed cabin crew that he needed to use the toilet, but was told that he would have to wait until the plane was airborne and the seat belt sign was turned off.
The actor responded by leaving his seat and relieving himself. The plane returned to the stand and Depardieu was ordered to disembark.
( Source )