A drunk Britain passenger whose violent outburst on a transatlantic plane forced the pilot to divert has been jailed for 20 days in Canada.
Holidaymakers intervened and helped restrain Bridget Hanley after she went for a fellow traveller and TUI crew member mid-air on the flight from Manchester.
She faced charges of ‘disturbing the peace, mischief, and jeopardising the safety of an aircraft’ following the incident on the way to Cancun in Mexico on Sunday.
Holidaymakers intervened and helped restrain Bridget Hanley (right) after she went for a fellow traveller and TUI crew member mid-air on the flight from Manchester
The plane made an emergency landing in Quebec City where the 34-year-old, from Blackley, Manchester, was arrested by local police and later charged.
She appeared in court the next morning where she admitted the offences – and was jailed for 20 days in a provincial detention facility in the Quebec City region.
A spokesman for Sûreté du Québec, the predominantly French-speaking province’s police department, said the airline also intends to file a civil lawsuit against her.
It is understood that passengers, including a former rugby player and a police officer, helped to detain Hanley following her outburst.
Hanley (pictured) faced charges of ‘disturbing the peace, mischief, and jeopardising the safety of an aircraft’ following the incident on the way to Cancun in Mexico on Sunday
They sat with her until the flight landed in Quebec City, where she was handed over to Sûreté du Québec.
A statement from the force following the incident read: ‘Our major crimes division is investigating a case whereby the passenger of an international flight was causing a disturbance on board, forcing the pilot to land in Quebec City.
‘The-34-year-old woman was arrested and will appear in Québec Superior Court this morning. She may be facing charges of disturbing the peace, mischief and jeopardising the safety of an aircraft.
‘During the flight this individual was under the influence of alcohol and involved in an altercation with another passenger as well as a flight-crew member. However no one was injured during this incident.’
The plane made an emergency landing in Quebec City where Hanley (right), from Blackley, Manchester, was arrested by local police
A spokesman for TUI stressed that incidents like this on board were extremely rare and confirmed the flight arrived safely in Cancun later that day.
The representative added: ‘We are sorry for any inconvenience caused to customers on flight TOM182 from Manchester to Cancun, which diverted to Quebec due to a disruptive passenger on board.
‘The safety of customers and crew is our priority at all times and we operate a zero tolerance policy on any behaviour of this kind. We appreciate the patience and understanding of customers affected by the diversion.
‘Following this, we can confirm the flight has arrived safely in Cancun. We would like to reassure everyone that incidents of this nature are extremely rare.’