A TUI flight from Cancun, Mexico to London was forced to make an emergency landing in the US after a mid-air altercation broke out between two passengers.
According to a BBC report, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, carrying 267 passengers, was diverted to Bangor, Maine, where it landed around 9.30 pm local time on Tuesday. Due to the crew reaching their duty hour limits, all passengers were required to spend the night in Bangor.
A replacement crew was flown in and the flight eventually resumed its journey at 3 pm EST on Wednesday, arriving at London’s Gatwick Airport later that day.
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed that officers removed both individuals from the aircraft. “Although no criminal charges were filed, CBP processed the two subjects for expedited removal,” a spokesperson told the BBC. The two were reportedly sent back to their respective home countries on separate flights.
Audio between the pilot and air traffic control revealed the urgency of the decision to land. “Cockpit is secure and there’s two passengers fighting…the crew has pretty much gotten them under control,” the pilot reported, to which the controller replied that security would be ready on arrival.
Despite the disruption, no injuries were reported and the remainder of the journey proceeded without further incident.
