EasyJet forced into emergency landing after two families 'brawl over Karate Kid'
An EasyJet flight had to be diverted to Porto after a two-family brawl over the film Karate Kid erupted mid-air.
A woman who was removed from an EasyJet flight following a mid-air brawl has claimed the airline failed to support her. Two families came to blows after a row about a young child watching the film Karate Kid on his Apple iPad.
The five-year-old was watching the 2010 remake of the classic film when a woman four rows in front became irritated and asked him to turn it down. The boy’s mum, 26, a letting agent from south London alleged she was shouted at and racially abused. She claimed the irritated mum’s partner then grabbed her disabled other half by the neck before slamming him down into a fellow passenger. The incident happened aboard an EasyJet flight from Lanzarote to London Gatwick last summer as the family returned from holiday.
The violence caused the plane’s pilot to divert Porto, where both families were removed from the flight and handed over to police, forcing them to make their own way home.
She said: "This incident involved racial abuse, discrimination, and physical assault. My son was left extremely scared and distressed.”
The mother believes she deserved more support from the company and says that she has complained to them for more than nine months but had no response.
An EasyJet spokesperson said that both families were aggressive towards staff which meant that both were removed from the flight.
They said: "Safety is our highest priority. We do not tolerate disruptive behaviour."
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The incident is one of several similar occurrences in that past two years, with the number of flights diverted due to the behaviour of passengers increasing.
The European Union Aviation Safety Agency notes an increase in the amount of flights being disrupted and the severity of disruptions since 2020.
Additionally, data provided by the International Air Transport Association estimates that there was one disruptive incident for every 480 flights worldwide in 2023, an increase from one in 568 flights in 2022.
