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
NEW What Canada is doing about the toxic forever chemicals in drinking water
As the United States sets its first national limits on toxic forever chemicals in drinking water, researchers say Canada is lagging when it comes to regulations.
Arrest made, manslaughter charge pending in 2022 death of Calgary toddler
Calgary police have arrested a man and a charge is pending in connection with the death of a toddler in 2022.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Where did the gold go? Crime expert weighs in on unfolding Pearson Airport heist investigation
Almost 7,000 bars of pure gold were stolen from Pearson International Airport exactly one year ago during an elaborate heist, but so far only a tiny fraction of that stolen loot has been found.
Why drivers in Eastern Canada could see big gas price spikes, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
'They needed people inside Air Canada:' Police announce arrests in Pearson gold heist
Police say one former and one current employee of Air Canada are among the nine suspects that are facing charges in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
House admonishes ArriveCan contractor in rare parliamentary show of power
MPs enacted an extraordinary, rarely used parliamentary power on Wednesday, summonsing an ArriveCan contractor to appear before the House of Commons where he was admonished publicly and forced to provide answers to the questions MPs said he'd previously evaded.
Here's why experts don't think cloud seeding played a role in Dubai's downpour
Scientists say it's highly unlikely cloud seeding is responsible for the heavy rains that have caused flooding in the United Arab Emirates this month, and that climate change is the more likely culprit.
Doug Ford calls on Ontario Speaker to reverse Queen's Park keffiyeh ban
Ontario Premier Doug Ford is calling on Speaker Ted Arnott to reverse a ban on keffiyehs at Queen's Park, describing the move as “needlessly” divisive.