Man arrested on diverted LBA flight (From Ilkley Gazette)

Man arrested on diverted LBA flight

3:10pm Thursday 7th January 2010 in News

A passenger was arrested and cautioned for using threatening behaviour after holidaymakers on an airliner diverted from Leeds Bradford Airport to Teesside were kept on board for more than two hours over concerns about ice on the ground.

The Thomson Airways flight from Alicante was diverted from Yeadon to Durham Tees Valley Airport on Tuesday. But passengers were not allowed to leave the plane for two-and-a-half hours.

Passengers were said to have become angry when told the aircraft would be taking off again and flying further north to Newcastle. The aircraft had initially been re-routed to Newcastle but then landed at Durham Tees Valley, near Darlington.

The captain is said to have finally allowed passengers to disembark, put police were called.

A man from Hartlepool was arrested and received a caution from police.

Thomson Airlines, which apologised for the inconvenience, said passengers had become disruptive.