Comprehensive foreign media reports on November 9 stated that a drunk British female passenger caused a disturbance on a flight from the UK to the Dominican Republic and assaulted the crew, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Bermuda.
This Boeing 767-300 aircraft of British Thomson Airways took off from Manchester Airport in the UK on November 5, heading for Punta Cana Airport in the Dominican Republic. The estimated flight time for the entire journey was 8 hours, with a total of 260 people onboard. After halfway through the journey, a female passenger in the cabin suddenly started shouting incoherently. When the crew came to calm her down, she attacked them physically, and air marshals had no choice but to cuff her to her seat.
Passenger Kenyon recalled afterward: "That female passenger gave a male crew member a black eye. She also resisted the air marshal's advice and tried to break free." Kenyon claimed that the female passenger had brought alcohol onto the plane without permission. "Clearly, she became drunk later."
A spokesperson for Thomson Airways confirmed the news on the 9th and stated that in order to ensure the safety of other passengers on the plane, the pilot decided to change the course and make an emergency landing at Bermuda International Airport. "In accordance with our emergency procedures, the crew informed the airport police beforehand. After landing, the female passenger was taken away by the police. Subsequently, the plane continued its journey and arrived at Punta Cana Airport at 1:33 AM Greenwich Mean Time on November 6 (9:33 AM Beijing Time on November 6)."
The spokesperson also pointed out: "It needs to be clarified that such incidents are extremely rare on Thomson Airways flights. Passenger safety is always our top priority. Thomson Airways adopts a zero-tolerance policy towards any disruptive behavior on airplanes."
Bermuda airport police said that the female passenger was 45 years old. Currently, Bermuda immigration authorities, airport officials, and police are investigating the matter. Bermuda is an autonomous overseas territory of the UK, located in the western part of the North Atlantic Ocean, about 917 kilometers away from South Carolina, USA.
This is the second incident involving a drunken British passenger causing a plane to make an emergency landing in the past month. In late October, a Boeing 747-400 aircraft of British Virgin Atlantic Airways carrying 468 people made an emergency landing at Gander International Airport in Newfoundland, Canada, due to a disturbance caused by a drunken British male passenger.
(Source: China Daily Website, Liu Hongjie)