Rio de Janeiro, September 24: A dramatic incident unfolded on an Azul Airlines flight from Brazil's Recife, when a reportedly drunk female passenger caused panic by repeatedly screaming that the aircraft was on fire. The unidentified woman, who was visibly agitated, had to be handcuffed and strapped to her seat after resisting attempts by flight attendants to calm her down.

According to a report published by the New York Post, the woman swatted at the staff and continued to yell about an imaginary fire despite being restrained. The situation escalated further, leading the crew to move her to the plane's galley, where they finally managed to hold her down. Upon landing at Viracopos Airport, the passenger was arrested by authorities. Scandinavian Airlines Flight From Oslo to Malaga Makes Emergency Landing After Live Mouse ‘Jumps’ out of Passenger’s In-Flight Meal.

Woman Handcuffed After Claiming Plane on Fire

Azul Airlines issued a statement confirming the incident, saying, "An undisciplined customer was immobilized during the journey, as she was a risk to the crew and other customers. This company follows the highest safety standards and regulations of national and international authorities. In addition, we periodically conduct training with staff at airports, including aircrews and pilots, in order to prepare them to deal with disruptive customers." Ethiopian Airlines Deplanes Woman Passenger to Accommodate Minister in Her Seat, Video Surfaces.

In a similar incident, an EasyJet flight from London Gatwick to Kos International Airport in Greece had to make an emergency landing at Munich International Airport. The disruption was caused by an intoxicated passenger who berated the Captain and caused midair chaos. German police escorted the unruly passenger off the plane and took him into custody. The incident occurred two hours into the scheduled four-hour flight.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 24, 2024 12:44 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).