Passengers tackle Canadian man after he became violent, tried to open plane doors mid-flight
A plane bound for Toronto has been forced to divert to Iceland after a Canadian man allegedly became violent and tried to open the aircraft door mid-air.
LOT Polish Airlines flight 41 was flying from Warsaw, Poland to Toronto on Thursday when the incident occurred a few hours into the flight, the airline said.
A spokesperson for the airline told CTV News Toronto the altercation began after a flight attendant refused to serve a Canadian passenger alcohol.
"The man then went to aft galley and shouted at crew members," LOT Polish Airlines Press Officer Krzysztof Moczulski told CTV News Toronto. "The passenger was about to hit a cabin crew member, but fellow passengers ran to galley and tried to calm him down."
Moczulski said the passenger became so aggressive that at least five passengers rallied together to subdue the man in the aisle.
Video obtained by CTV News Toronto shows passengers tackling the passenger in the aisle.
Passengers on the flight worked together to tackle the man after he became violent, the airline said. (Suppied)
"He managed to get away and at one point the passenger ran to the plane doors and tried to open them mid-air," Moczulski said.
Moczulski said the pilot made the decision to land the plane in Reykjavik. The passenger was eventually taken back to his seat for landing.
When the plane landed in Reykjavik, police boarded the plane and arrested the man.
In another video submitted to CTV News Toronto, multiple police officers can be seen boarding the airplane and escorting the man away in handcuffs.
'HE WAS SPITTING ON PEOPLE'
A passenger on the flight, who was sitting near the passenger in question, told CTV News Toronto he knew something was wrong when he heard screaming coming from the back of the plane.
"He was in the back of the plane fighting with the flight attendants," the Ontario man, who didn't want to be identified, said. "It was just non-stop."
The flight turned around over Greenland. (Flightradar 24)
"People were restraining him because he was throwing water bottles at flight attendants," he added. "He was also spitting on other passengers. At one point he was yanking on the plane door."
He said he was relieved after the plane landed in Iceland and the man was arrested, but is now stuck in a hotel in Warsaw waiting for another flight to Toronto.
The airline said because of crew restrictions, the plane left Reykjavik and returned to Warsaw. All affected passengers have been given hotel rooms before their flight to Toronto on Saturday, the airline said.
LOT Polish Airlines said no one was physically injured, but their cabin crew have been left "extremely stressed by the situation."
It's not known if any charges have been laid.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Michael Cohen: A challenging star witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial
He once said he would take a bullet for Donald Trump. Now Michael Cohen is prosecutors' biggest piece of legal ammunition in the former president's hush money trial.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
As Israel pushes deeper into Rafah, Hamas regroups elsewhere in ungoverned Gaza
Israeli forces were battling Palestinian militants across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, including in parts of the devastated north that the military said it had cleared months ago, where Hamas has exploited a security vacuum to regroup.
Thousands of civilians evacuated from northeast Ukraine as Russia presses renewed border assault
Thousands more civilians have fled Russia's renewed ground offensive in Ukraine's northeast that has targeted towns and villages with a barrage of artillery and mortar fire, officials said Sunday.
Feds 'committed to doing more,' but minister offers no timeline for Canadian Disability Benefit boost
Amid significant criticism from advocates, Diversity, Inclusion and Persons with Disabilities Minister Kamal Khera is defending her government's long-promised, newly unveiled Canada Disability Benefit, calling the funds an "initial step," but without laying out a timeline for future expansion of the program.
RCMP boss expresses desire for new law to deal with threats against politicians
RCMP commissioner Mike Duheme says he wants the government to look at drafting a new law that would make it easier for police to pursue charges against people who threaten elected officials.