The passenger arrested on Friday at Faro airport for altercations on board a flight between the UK and the Canary Islands did not appear in court.
A source from the Public Security Police (PSP) told Lusa that the passenger, of Polish nationality and traveling in a group, did not appear at Faro Court on Monday, as he had been notified.
The man was arrested inside the aircraft operated by Ryanair, which was flying between Luton (UK) and Lanzarote (Canary Islands, Spain) and which diverted to Faro airport due to disagreements on board.
In contact with the flight attendants, the agents found that eight passengers were causing trouble, namely shouting and banging repeatedly on the doors of the cabin luggage racks, as well as drinking alcoholic beverages, ignoring the instructions given by the flight crew.
“After the aircraft captain indicated that the unruly passengers should be removed, the PSP contacted them and ordered them to leave, explaining the reasons why they had to leave the aircraft,” said the PSP in a statement issued on Friday.
Following the order, he said, seven of the eight passengers left without resistance, but one “adopted a hostile and aggressive attitude, refusing to leave and repeatedly disobeying the orders given to him”.
The police were forced to detain him and remove him from the aircraft “with the use of physical force, given his constant resistance”, it said.
The passenger was arrested for the crimes of disobedience, resistance and coercion of an official, released and summoned to appear in court on Monday.