A Jet2 flight from Antalya to Manchester was dramatically diverted to Brussels after a mass brawl broke out mid‑air among passengers, leaving some passengers injured and forcing Belgian police to intervene.
Flight LS896, operated by Jet2, was en‑route from Antalya when chaos erupted on board. The BBC reported that the diversion occurred because of the “appalling behaviour of two disruptive passengers”, which the airline said made it necessary to land in Brussels. The pair have since been banned for life by Jet2.
A video shared online
Footage shared on social media showed travellers shouting and brawling in the aisle as cabin crew and fellow passengers tried to separate them, the BBC said.
According to the Daily Mail, the violence quickly spread through the cabin, with terrified families and elderly passengers caught up in the disorder. Witnesses described seeing blood on seats and teeth on the floor as passengers traded punches.
The confrontation began after one passenger allegedly attempted to snatch another’s phone. One of the men later taken into custody was said to have been heavily intoxicated. He reportedly made racist remarks before a dispute with cabin crew over cigarettes escalated into violence.
Arrest made by Belgian police
Upon upon landing in Brussels on 12 February, Belgian police arrested two men. Authorities later allowed them to continue their journey once they were “briefly deprived of their freedom administratively” and confirmed that their identities, fingerprints and photos were taken as part of an ongoing investigation into intentional assault.
In a statement given to the BBC, Jet2 said it would “vigorously” seek to recover the costs of the diversion from the disruptive passengers and reiterated its “zero‑tolerance approach to disruptive passenger behaviour,” expressing regret for what other customers and crew experienced.
Passengers described the incident as "frightening". One passenger told the Daily Mail: “At one point it became very physical. Passengers were distressed. People were frightened.”
Another passenger praised those who tried to help, saying: “Respect to the passengers who stood up against the racism, including the kind person who sat with and comforted those shaken. The Jet2 crew dealt with the situation calmly and professionally.”
The pilot reportedly told travellers that in his 30 years of flying, he had made only a handful of emergency landings and had never before witnessed such violence onboard.
