A disruptive passenger on a flight to Turkey caused the plane to divert to Germany due to unruly behavior, including spitting on another traveler. Courtney Maich, 27, and Alannah O’Neill, 28, from Dundee, were escorted off the Jet2 service by German police after consuming their own alcohol and refusing to comply with cabin crew instructions.
The pilot decided to land in Cologne to remove Maich from the aircraft, resulting in a three-hour delay for the other passengers. Jet2 incurred expenses of £27,370.53 for accommodation and the delayed return flight to Edinburgh. The airline is pursuing a civil action against the two women to recover the costs.
During the incident, Maich became aggressive towards the cabin crew and fellow passengers, leading to her arrest by German police. The disruptive behavior, which included shouting and spitting, was captured on video and shared on social media.
In court, Maich and O’Neill received a 12-month supervision order, 120 hours of unpaid work, and a curfew. Maich was also ordered to pay £200 in compensation for the assault. Both women admitted to various charges related to their disruptive conduct on the flight.
The court appearance highlighted a concerning trend of increased crime and disorder at Scotland’s airports, with incidents rising by 41% over the past three years. Edinburgh and Glasgow airports saw a significant uptick in reported incidents, prompting concerns about airport security and passenger behavior.