An Aston Villa fan was forcibly removed from a packed EasyJet flight by Spanish police after passengers reported he was drinking cans of Stella Artois and loudly chanting about Birmingham.
Chaotic Scenes at Arrecife Airport
The incident unfolded on December 28 aboard flight EZY6648, which was scheduled to depart from Lanzarote's Arrecife Airport for Birmingham. According to multiple eyewitness accounts, the man's disruptive conduct began long before boarding.
Fellow travellers stated the individual, seen wearing an Aston Villa shirt, was already causing a disturbance during the check-in process. He was reportedly "running around with cans of Stella in his hand" while engaging in football-related chants and shouting references to Birmingham.
Confrontation Onboard the Aircraft
The situation escalated once passengers were seated on the aircraft. Chanting about wanting to return to Birmingham continued, prompting concerned cabin crew to make telephone calls. The disruption culminated at 16:55 when five officers from Spain's Guardia Civil boarded the plane.
A video recorded onboard shows the unnamed man arguing with both airline staff and the police. He stood up and shouted expletives, demanding to know "What's the problem?" before being physically dragged off the aircraft while continuing to swear.
The removal was met with mixed reactions from other passengers. One traveller was heard shouting "Up the Villa!" in support, while another yelled a derogatory comment about the football club, causing some tourists to break into laughter.
Flight Delay and Airline Response
The event caused significant disruption, resulting in the flight being delayed by approximately one hour. The man's luggage had to be located and removed from the hold, and his wife subsequently chose to leave the aircraft as well.
In a statement to the Daily Mail, an EasyJet spokesperson confirmed the event. "A passenger on flight EZY6648 from Lanzarote to Birmingham on 28th December was escorted off the aircraft prior to departure as a result of disruptive behaviour," they said.
The airline emphasised that "safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is always easyJet's highest priority." They added that cabin crew are trained to act quickly to ensure safety is never compromised and that they do not tolerate such behaviour onboard. The flight continued to Birmingham once the situation was resolved.
