Passenger dragged off Thai Lion Air flight after row over emergency exit seat request

Fellow passengers called the man “selfish” and told him to “get off the plane”, while another was heard saying: “When you said apologise for the first thing I said, don’t forget that.”

The Mirror reported that the man’s refusal to cooperate meant that the plane’s departure from Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport was delayed by an hour.

The US Federal Aviation Administration noted in August 2024 that airlines had reported more than 1,240 unruly passenger cases that year.

Some airlines like Ryanair have opted to tackle disruptive behaviour by imposing fines. Ryanair, Europe’s biggest airline by passenger numbers, said in a statement on Jun 12 that “disruptive passengers whose unruly behaviour” result in their removal from aircraft would be fined €500 (US$585).