Frankfurt Airport Police Arrest Passenger Who Punched Flight Attendants
There were frightening scenes on board the Boeing 737 MAX.
For the second time this week, a police response has been triggered in Frankfurt, Germany, due to an intoxicated passenger. Yesterday, a SunExpress customer tried to open an aircraft door and attacked flight attendants during the taxi process.
Unruly behavior
Flight XQ971 was scheduled to depart Frankfurt Airport at 14:10 to head to Turkey’s İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport. However, before the Boeing 737 MAX 8 took off, a 31-year-old tried to open the narrowbody’s door and punched the crew members who tried to intervene.
As a result, the flight’s captain stopped preparations before informing German police and taxiing back. Federal officers then met the passenger, who tried to hit the officers before attempting to run away. The police eventually tied up the man before transporting him to their local station.
However, the irrational actions continued. The man tried to bang his head against a wall many times as officers tried to stop him. Eventually, he was able to settle down.
A word from the officials
According to a statement provided by the German Federal Police Headquarters at Frankfurt Airport,
“When the man was searched, the federal police officers found 7,330 euros. Since the origin of the money could not be proven, the officials secured the amount.”
Authorities initiated a drug test that revealed that the man had cocaine and opioids in his system. Meanwhile, a breath alcohol test showed a figure of 0.73 per thousand. A blood sample was also taken.
The man was finally shifted to a psychiatric clinic as he declared suicidal intentions. Still, the matter is not over. The police stated:
“The Federal Police initiated investigations on suspicion of resistance and physical attack on law enforcement officers and dangerous intervention in air traffic. Because he also defied the instructions of the pilot, the man faces a fine of up to 25,000 euros under the provisions of the Aviation Security Act.”
Challenging few days
Notably, this news follows the report of police in Frankfurt being injured while removing another Turkey-bound passenger. The traveler was also several times over the legal blood alcohol content limit for driving in Germany.
Thus, it’s been a tough week for Frankfurt Airport. Authorities will be keen to stamp out such actions across the hub’s operations.
German police are no strangers to difficult situations at Frankfurt Airport. Some of our readers may remember how they dealt with a major security threat at the facility in January 2021. It is now also 12 years since the 2011 Frankfurt Airport shooting that saw two United States Airmen be killed while two others were wounded.
Regarding yesterday’s SunExpress service, flight XQ971 eventually departed at 15:17 and landed in İzmir at 19:26. Simple Flying reached out to SunExpress for comment on the incident. We will update the article with any announcements from the airline.
What are your thoughts about how the situation in Frankfurt was handled? Let us know what you think in the comment section.
Source: FlightRadar24.com
