Passenger's hallucination forces easyJet flight diversion

Upon landing in Faro, police escorted the man off the aircraft. There are no updates on whether he will face charges, but local authorities confirmed his detention following the incident. According to one passenger quoted by The Sun, "No one quite knew what was going on... But it soon became apparent that the flyer was either so drunk or on illegal drugs."

Passengers remained onboard during the diversion, and after several hours of delay, they continued their journey to Marrakesh. The flight departed Faro just after 22:00 and arrived in Marrakesh at 23:05.

An easyJet spokesperson attributed the diversion to "a passenger behaving disruptively onboard," adding that police met him upon arrival in Portugal.

Flight diversions can be costly for airlines like easyJet due to extra airport fees and fuel costs. In similar cases involving unruly passengers, compensation claims often fall under "extraordinary circumstances," exempting airlines from paying out compensation under EU261 regulations.

Unusual diversions have occurred before; for instance, in 2017, an American Airlines flight diverted when a passenger hallucinated butterflies. Another case involved a small snake found on a Thai AirAsia flight without causing a diversion.

The aviation industry has tightened measures against disruptive behavior post-pandemic. In the UK, fines for such actions can reach up to $6,500 with potential criminal charges or prison sentences for offenders. Airlines often pursue reimbursement for costs incurred during diversions but recovering these expenses can be challenging.

Ryanair is currently seeking reimbursement through legal action in Ireland following a similar diversion incident caused by an unruly passenger.