Fight involving headbutts and spitting between two brothers on a Ryanair flight to the Canary Islands

On a recent Ryanair flight from Edinburgh to Tenerife (FR2969 on 19 February, operated by Boeing 737-800 registered EI-EVV), a fight broke out between two brothers and a woman, resulting in their arrest by the Civil Guard upon landing in the Canary Islands.

The altercation, captured in a viral video (see hereunder), showed the two men head-butting and spitting at each other. Witnesses reported that the dispute originated from one passenger reprimanding the woman for disruptive behaviour and excessive screaming during the flight. The fight escalated with the involvement of the two brothers.

Passengers endured the disturbance for over two hours before crew intervention.

A Ryanair spokesperson confirmed police assistance was requested, and the disruptive passengers were removed upon landing: “The crew of this flight from Edinburgh to Tenerife (February 19) requested police assistance after a small number of passengers behaved disruptively on board. The plane was met by local police on arrival to Tenerife and these passengers were removed. This is now a matter for the authorities.”

This incident adds to the rising trend of disruptive behaviour by passengers on flights to the Canary Islands, with a significant increase in complaints reported over recent years, reaching 132.6% in the period from January to July 2023 compared to the same period in 2019. The surge is attributed to various factors, including non-compliance with rules and opposition to mask mandates.