A passenger caused chaos on a flight after allegedly attempting to open the emergency door mid-flight.
The incident took place on a Copa Airlines flight last night (5 November).
Footage of the incident shows a man being restrained in a headlock while a crew member tried to attach plastic handcuffs to his wrists.
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Two passengers – Marcelo Ribeiro and Everaldo Torres – reportedly helped to restrain the man, according to local reports.
Marcelo attempted to reason with the passenger when he noticed him trying to open the door, which ignited a brawl.
A photo shared shows the suspect sitting in his seat with what appears to be blood around his lips and nose, while one man holds his shoulder and another stands in front of him, supposedly to stop him getting up again.
The flight departed from Brasilia, Brazil and was headed to the Tocumen International Airport in Panama City.
The pilot required a few extra minutes to land the aircraft but it descended safely.
Upon arriving at the airport, Panamanian authorities arrested the suspect, who has not been named, as reported by Luxury Travel Daily.
The airline has released a statement: “’On Copa Airlines flight CM204 from Brasília to Panama, today, November 5, 2024, there was a situation during the landing phase in which an unruly passenger tried to open one of the aircraft doors.
“The crew acted quickly and, with the assistance of some passengers, applied the necessary safety protocols to control the situation until landing in Panama.
“Thanks to the professionalism of the crew, the safety of the flight and passengers was protected.”
Jam Press has contacted Copa Airlines for further comment.
