Two people have been arrested by Spanish police after a booze-fuelled brawl onboard a KLM flight between Amsterdam and the sun-soaked holiday island of Ibiza in the Balaerics. The fight, it’s alleged, was sparked by two passengers refusing to wear face masks despite tough rules introduced by the Dutch authorities that mandate the wearing of an appropriate face covering on flights.
Other passengers clamour around the men as they try to subdue them in a video posted to Twitter by someone who was on the flight. Eyewitnesses claim the two men, who are believed to be from Scotland, downed over a litre of vodka during the short 2-hour flight between Amsterdam and Ibiza.
Trouble started to brew when cabin crew challenged them for not wearing face masks in non-compliance with the airline’s rules. Shortly before landing, the two men refused to sit down and then allegedly hit another passenger. Other passengers then piled in to assist cabin crew in restraining one of the men who was eventually trussed up with cable ties around his wrists.
On its Twitter account, KLM confirmed the incident had taken place, describing the event as “very annoying”. A spokesperson continued: “The staff (cabin crew) are trained and know what to do. It is also nice that fellow passengers helped immediately.”
In June, a passenger who refused to wear a face mask onboard a KLM flight was fined €300 by the Dutch Royal Military Police. While there were no specific laws requiring the passenger to wear a mask, KLM has introduced its own strict rules. The man was fined for failing to comply with lawful cabin crew instructions.
KLM says passengers must wear a face mask that is made to cover the mouth and nose. Scarves and snoods are not accepted.
