A passenger claiming to be a United Nations diplomat was forcibly removed from a Ryanair flight in Lanzarote after refusing to show his boarding pass.
The man was dragged off the aircraft by police on Friday night following a heated confrontation with airline staff and officials.
The incident caused a 40-minute delay to the Lanzarote to Galicia service on January 17 after the passenger refused to cooperate with crew members.
The incident began when the passenger demanded to be moved to a front-row seat on the aircraft.
A passenger claiming to be a United Nations diplomat was forcibly removed from a Ryanair flight in Lanzarote
PA
When cabin crew asked to see his boarding pass, the man refused, claiming his diplomatic status meant he was not required to show it.
A witness reported the passenger claimed his friend was holding his ticket, but provided no evidence to support this assertion.
After multiple attempts to negotiate with the passenger, the captain called the Guardia Civil to remove him from the aircraft.
Four officials had to wrestle with the enraged man, who continued to shout and resist removal.
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Fellow passengers watched as the man argued with police and flight attendants before being physically hauled out of the cabin.
The pilot informed passengers that the flight was ready for its scheduled departure but was being delayed by an uncooperative individual.
Despite repeated attempts to resolve the situation, the self-proclaimed diplomat remained defiant, refusing to comply with crew requests.
The standoff continued until authorities were called to intervene, marking a significant disruption to the evening service.
The pilot informed passengers that the flight was ready for its scheduled departure but was being delayed by an uncooperative individual
Aeropuerto de Lanzarote
Ryanair issued a statement confirming police assistance was called “after a passenger became disruptive on board”.
The airline emphasised its “strict zero tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct” and commitment to ensuring passengers and crew “travel in a safe and respectful environment”.
The carrier added it would “continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour” for the benefit of other travellers.
The flight eventually departed and landed safely at Rosalía de Castro airport in Santiago de Compostela at approximately 11.45pm.