A Scottish teenager has been ‘banned for life’ from Jet2 after the airline claimed an incident on board a flight to Tenerife was ‘one of the worst’ cases of disruptive behavior the company has seen.
Jay Dalziel, 19, is said to have forced the flight from Glasgow to divert to Shannon Airport in Co Clare, Ireland, on Wednesday afternoon after acting in a manner the airline described as ‘appalling and deplorable’.
The teenager from Motherwell has since been blacklisted for life from all Jet2 flights, Glasgow Live reports, and appeared in court on Thursday following an alleged serious incident on board.
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It is claimed Dalziel became disruptive as soon as the flight took off from Glasgow, when video footage captured the moment local police apparently ‘dragged’ a topless man off the plane after cabin crew were ‘attacked’.
Jet2’s managing director Phil Ward has since confirmed that the case was ‘one of the worst’ the airline has seen in its history and will prosecute the individual for all costs incurred as a result of the diversion and ban him for life.
Mr Ward said: “This is one of the worst cases of disruptive passenger behavior we have ever seen, and we would like to apologize to all colleagues and customers on board for what they have experienced.
“It is a shame that hardworking customers, families and colleagues have to be subjected to such appalling behavior and we will vigorously prosecute Mr Dalziel for all costs incurred as a result of this diversion, as well as banning him for life.”
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He added: “We would also like to thank the customers and colleagues who assisted in dealing with Mr Dalziel on board, as well as Garda for their assistance in offloading him. We will fully support them with their investigations and Mr Dalziel must be prepared to face serious consequences. for his actions.
“This event should serve as a stark warning to anyone who thinks it could be acceptable to behave in such an unacceptable manner on board one of our flights. Fortunately, the vast majority of customers continue to enjoy their flight and have a great holiday, and we will continue to work hard to provide our VIP customer service as always.”
Garda officers confirmed to Glasgow Live that a passenger had been taken into custody. A spokesperson said: “Gardaj attached to Shannon Airport arrested a man in his 20s following an incident on board an aircraft that diverted to Shannon Airport earlier on Wednesday evening 12 June 2024 at approximately 5.30pm.
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“Gardai encountered the aircraft and arrested the man under the Non-Fatal Offenses Against the Person Act, 1997. He is currently being held under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in County Clare. There investigations are ongoing.”
A Jet2 spokesperson said: “After offloading Mr Dalziel, a standby aircraft and crew were immediately flown to Shannon Airport to take customers to Tenerife, with Jet2.com apologizing to customers for the delay in the start of their well deserved vacation.
They added: “Ahead of the busy summer season, Jet2.com is using this incident to reiterate its commitment to its industry-leading Onboard Together policy. This policy ensures that Jet2.com takes a zero-tolerance approach to the industry-wide issue of disruptive and offensive behavior.”