A man trespassed onto the apron of Valencia Airport in Spain and climbed onto the roof of a Vueling Airlines aircraft bound for Amsterdam, causing the flight to be delayed by two and a half hours.
Authorities managed to persuade him to come down safely before taking him to hospital for a psychological evaluation prior to his arrest, raising questions about the adequacy of security measures at the airport.
Passengers waiting in the terminal filmed the moment the man climbed onto the aircraft at Manises Airport in Valencia. Video footage shows him provoking ground staff, pulling a drink can from his black bag, opening it, and drinking while standing on top of the plane. After taking a long sip, he violently threw the can to the ground, then removed a white jacket and tossed it aside as well.
The man continued to taunt airport staff, running back and forth along the aircraft’s fuselage while covering his ears in a loud display of anger. The reason behind his unusual behavior atop the plane remains unclear. Local media reported that Spain’s Civil Guard took about 10 minutes to convince him to descend via the aircraft’s side boarding stairs, bringing the tense incident to an end.
The Civil Guard confirmed that the man’s bag contained no weapons, and that authorities were notified due to his violation of aviation safety regulations. Despite crew members and passengers filming the incident during efforts to contain the situation, Spain’s airport operator stated that the incident posed no threat to passenger safety or air traffic operations.
Following the incident, the aircraft underwent a thorough inspection by Vueling’s maintenance team to check the upper fuselage and rule out any damage. The flight was then allowed to proceed normally after the technical checks were completed. Vueling declined to comment when contacted.
Authorities managed to persuade him to come down safely before taking him to hospital for a psychological evaluation prior to his arrest, raising questions about the adequacy of security measures at the airport.
Passengers waiting in the terminal filmed the moment the man climbed onto the aircraft at Manises Airport in Valencia. Video footage shows him provoking ground staff, pulling a drink can from his black bag, opening it, and drinking while standing on top of the plane. After taking a long sip, he violently threw the can to the ground, then removed a white jacket and tossed it aside as well.
The man continued to taunt airport staff, running back and forth along the aircraft’s fuselage while covering his ears in a loud display of anger. The reason behind his unusual behavior atop the plane remains unclear. Local media reported that Spain’s Civil Guard took about 10 minutes to convince him to descend via the aircraft’s side boarding stairs, bringing the tense incident to an end.
The Civil Guard confirmed that the man’s bag contained no weapons, and that authorities were notified due to his violation of aviation safety regulations. Despite crew members and passengers filming the incident during efforts to contain the situation, Spain’s airport operator stated that the incident posed no threat to passenger safety or air traffic operations.
Following the incident, the aircraft underwent a thorough inspection by Vueling’s maintenance team to check the upper fuselage and rule out any damage. The flight was then allowed to proceed normally after the technical checks were completed. Vueling declined to comment when contacted.
