07/02/2011

Ryanair 'Baggage Scuffle' Grounds Belgians

Up to 100 young Belgian passengers have been removed from a Ryanair plane preparing to leave the Canary Islands after a large scuffle broke out onboard.

According to Spanish newspaper La Provincia, the incident took place during a Ryanair flight that tried to charge one passenger extra for carry-on baggage.

The incident has prompted a Spanish Interior Ministry spokesman to respond, saying that the pilot was preparing for take-off at Guacimeta airport on the Lanzarote island resort for Charleroi, Belgium, when she radioed for police assistance.

The spokesman said that of 168 passengers, only 66 were allowed to re-board yesterday's flight with the budget airline after a number of student passengers became enraged at being charged extra for carry on luggage.

In a statement, Ryanair denied there had been a 'mutiny' on the plane, saying it had been forced to offload a group of 100 passengers at the request of Spanish police.

"When the flight was already closed a group of 20 young people arrived making a racket with a megaphone, and we kindly allowed them to board on the condition that they paid for the baggage they couldn't check in," the spokesman said.

Scuffles broke out with crew members over a piece of baggage and Spanish police were called to board the plane to remove a number of the passengers.

"This group became disruptive, and refused to comply with crew instructions after a number of their group were required to pay a gate bag fee for outsized luggage," the airline said.

(DW)

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