Scores of passengers flee plane in Barcelona during an emergency landing

FOURTEEN passengers detained and search launched for further passengers who fled a plane after an emergency landing. The passengers had forced the plane, en route from Morocco to Turkey, to make an emergency landing in Barcelona on Wednesday, December 7.

A situation on board the plane, including a pregnant woman claiming to go into labour, caused the crew to make the emergency landing at El Prat Airport, halfway through the plane’s journey from Casablanca to Istanbul.

On landing, 28 passengers in total fled the plane, running across the tarmac. Police on the scene detained 14 passengers, including the pregnant woman who was taken to hospital for a check-up. They have launched a search for a further 14 passengers who evaded authorities.

Eight of those detained were deported back to Morocco and five were put back onto the plane continuing to Turkey. A total of 228 people were on board the flight operated by Pegasus Airlines.

The incident echoed a similar incident in October 2021 where passengers forced an emergency landing in Mallorca under false pretexts before 24 passengers attempted to run across the tarmac.