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Passenger smokes throughout Ryanair flight: Unruly travellers provoke police assistance across European skies

By Adam Woodward • Updated: 01 Apr 2026 • 22:13 • 2 minutes read

Bologna police remove aggressive passenger from Ryanair flight.

Bologna police remove aggressive passenger from Ryanair flight. Credit Viral video from X

Crews on a Ryanair flight from Marseille to Madrid on Wednesday, April 1, requested immediate police presence after one passenger continuously smoked and defied all safety instructions from onboard staff. Spanish air traffic controllers reported the incident via their official X account, saying controllers shortened the approach to runway 32L for a safer, quicker landing.

Rising disruptive behaviour hits budget airlines hard

Such events reveal a worrying trend in European aviation. Passengers increasingly ignore crew commands regarding smoking, alcohol and aggression. Low-cost carriers operating popular leisure routes suffer most from these incidents.

Ryanair leads the fight against unruly passengers

Ryanair faces frequent cases of disruptive behaviour. The airline introduced €500 on-the-spot fines in 2025 for passengers removed from flights. Multiple court actions seek recovery of diversion costs, including a recent €3,000 lawsuit. One flight from Bournemouth to Girona diverted to Toulouse after a passenger tried opening an emergency door mid-air. Police removed the individuals in another case where a passenger urinated in the aisle en route to Tenerife.

Jet2 and easyJet also suffer this level of incidents. Jet2 imposed lifetime bans after violent brawls forced diversions, such as an Antalya to Manchester service diverted to Brussels, where police removed two fighting passengers. EasyJet crews have called police for intoxicated individuals causing chaos, resulting in significant delays on routes including Bristol to Newcastle.

Several recent examples of unruly passenger incidents across Europe in 2025 and early 2026 that triggered police requests on arrival or unscheduled diversions, similar to the Marseille–Madrid smoking case.

March 16, 2026 – Ryanair flight from Stansted to Alicante

Crews radioed Spanish controllers for police to meet the aircraft on landing after a group of ten disruptive passengers caused chaos onboard. Controllers shortened the approach for a safe touchdown at Alicante with no further issues; officers boarded immediately and made arrests.

March 5, 2026 – Flight from Malaga to Tenerife

Six conflictive passengers prompted the crew to divert urgently to Lanzarote and request police presence. Controllers gave priority to routing and direct approach; the aircraft landed safely while officers coordinated removal.

February 17, 2026 – Ryanair flight from Madrid to Ibiza

A drunk passenger had a meltdown on the runway, refusing to sit and demanding his phone stay on. Crews called for police assistance; the flight performed a full U-turn, leading to a two-hour delay while officers removed the individual.

Stronger penalties and better pre-flight screening could curb this trend, one supposes. What measures do Euro Weekly News readers believe airlines and authorities should introduce to tackle unruly passengers on European flights? Let us know in the comments below.

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Written by

Adam Woodward

Adam is a writer who has lived in Spain for over 25 years. With a background in English teaching and a passion for music, food, and the arts, he brings a rich personal perspective to his work at Euro Weekly News. As a father of three with deep roots in Spanish life, Adam writes engaging stories that explore culture, lifestyle, and the everyday experiences that shape communities across Spain.

Comments

    • Neil Friday

      02 April 2026 • 10:56

      The problems are the airports themselves serving alcohol and passing the effects onto the airlines who have no authority to breathtest passengers.

    • John McLean

      02 April 2026 • 13:08

      The lack of time between an aircraft landing then a quick turn around and the flight taking off means the staff at the departure gate do not have time to assess the state of passengers who have been drinking to excess and refuse them boarding. A refusal to board would also delay the aircraft as the passenger would undoubtably argue and removing their luggage would also take time. The turn around time has to be kept short in order to keep fares low. If you want low fares then this will never change until all airlines bring in a total ban on any passenger who is disruptive on an aircraft.

      • Algoz

        02 April 2026 • 16:02

        Well said, and excellent comments made. I used to work for the world’s largest airline (US based) as a Manager, and whenever employees suspected intoxication, we had to evaluate the passenger, and if necessary remove them from the flight. Even though this means a delay in the flight departure, better to deal with this type of behaviour on the ground, instead of at 36,000 feet. My heart goes out to all the crew who have to deal with this dreadful, scary and dangerous behaviour….appallling….

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