Passengers and cabin crew worked together to restrain a violent man on an S7 Airlines flight from Bangkok to Novosibirsk, Russia this week.
According to Express.co.uk, the 26-year-old was reportedly recently released from prison in Thailand and snuck a bottle of whiskey onto the flight before becoming so disruptive that the pilot warned passengers of a potential emergency landing.
The passenger's threatening behavior began only a few hours into the seven-plus-hour flight, leading passengers and crew members to tie the man's hands and feet behind his back using tape and belts.
A spokeswoman for the Russian Interior Ministry told The Mirror that a male passenger "hit the hooligan several times and with the help of other tourists tied him up. Witnesses confirmed that the captain had warned passengers that they might need to land in China or Mongolia because of this hooligan."
S7 Airlines confirmed Tuesday's incident. "On January 15, a deported passenger looking completely sober was put on flight 582 from Bangkok to Novosibirsk," a spokeswoman for the carrier told Express.co.uk. "Later a cabin crew member noticed him drinking alcohol and asked him to stop. Later on, passengers sitting next to him called for a cabin crew member."
"The man went on drinking, spoke loudly and disturbed his neighbors. He ignored cabin crew members as well as the captain's order to stop breaking the rules," she added. "In order to guarantee flight safety cabin crew members asked the man to the rear kitchen area and tried to calm him down when he started to offend and threaten other passengers and the crew."
The spokeswoman said the man's offensive behavior continued after he was tied up.
"With the help of other passengers the man was restrained, however, went on to behave inadequately, trying to hit his head against the floor. During the flight, he was watched by a cabin crew member and a doctor," she said. "Right after landing he was handed over to police officers and fined for disorderly conduct."
The incident comes less than one month after an Air India passenger stripped naked in protest on a flight from Dubai to Lucknow, India.
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