Busta Rhymes was hauled off a British Airways flight by police as it landed at London’s Heathrow Airport after getting into a row with a passenger in first class.
The US rapper was escorted off the passenger jet after the heated argument with a fellow flyer shortly before take-off in New York.
The 47-year-old hip hop star is understood to have boarded the flight just before the doors closed carrying five bags – before angrily demanding to know: ‘Who’s got all their stuff in my locker?’
Witnesses to the altercation said Busta – real name Trevor George Smith Jr – became ‘agitated, aggressive and rude’ as he hurled insults at the female passenger on the Monday evening flight from JFK Airport in the US.
He was met by police officers at the request of a passenger when the plane landed in London at 6.52am on Tuesday.
Busta Rhymes (pictured) was hauled off a British Airways flight by police as it landed at London’s Heathrow Airport after getting into a row with a female passenger in first class
The US rapper (pictured during the flight to London) was escorted off the passenger jet after the heated argument with a fellow flyer shortly before take-off in New York on Monday night
Witnesses to the mid-air altercation said Busta became ‘agitated, aggressive and rude’ as he hurled insults at the female passenger on the Monday night flight from JFK Airport in the US
Speaking to MailOnline, an unnamed passenger said: ‘Busta got on the plane and saw that this woman had put her luggage in his section of the overhead locker.
‘He turned around and demanded to know whose stuff it was.
‘This woman stood up and said the bags belonged to her.
‘He was ranting and raving, getting really angry and demanding to know why she had used his locker.
‘He told her to move her stuff immediately.
‘He began shouting and behaving extremely aggressively and the woman was getting more and more upset, she began crying.
‘As she got more and more tearful, her husband intervened and told him he needn’t be so rude to his wife.
‘He said that he was upsetting her when she was clearly happy to move her things.
‘The husband was trying to diffuse the situation, to which Busta replied, ‘Let’s go homeboy’.’
The rapper was filmed by a passenger as he explained the row to a British Airways steward just before the flight took off in New York. Passengers were given the chance to leave the plane
Busta (pictured on stage performing this year in Virginia Beach) was met by police officers at the request of a passenger when the plane landed in London at 6.52am on Tuesday
The witness said that as the argument became increasingly heated, other passengers stepped in and another called BA staff to intervene.
One source said the star was given a dressing-down by the airline’s cabin service director before he was allowed to make the journey to London.
The cabin crew gave the singer a glass of water and took him to the first class galley and spoke to him in order to diffuse the row.
But when he went back to his seat, the star is accused of saying to another passenger who had spoken to him earlier ‘I’m sure we will clear this up in London.’
Before take-off the captain went to first class and demanded assurances from passengers that there would be no further trouble.
They were given the option of leaving the plane and catching a later flight back to London, it is claimed.
‘Someone remarked to the captain that Busta was the only person behaving aggressively, which prompted him to make a speech trying to justify his behaviour,’ said the source.
‘He explained that he had a ‘hard life’ and that he wasn’t trying to threaten the passenger with violence, instead claiming that he just wanted to talk to him to sort out the issue once they had landed.’
Hip hop star Busta (pictured at the MTV Video Music Awards in New York) was spoken to by BA staff and given a glass of water to try and diffuse the row over another passenger’s luggage
The rest of the flight passed without any trouble.
Upon arrival in London the singer was escorted off the plane by waiting Metropolitan Police officers, but her wasn’t arrested.
The singer performed on the Greek island of Mykonos yesterday and is appearing tomorrow night alongside British grime star Stormzy at a festival in Romania.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: ‘Officers at Heathrow were requested by the airline of an inbound plane to Heathrow Airport from the US to attend following an alleged verbal altercation involving several passengers.
They boarded the plane once it had landed at approximately 6:52am on Tuesday 30 July and spoke to the parties involved. There were no reported injuries, and no offences disclosed. The passengers concerned then proceeded with their journeys.’
A BA spokesman added: ‘Our cabin crew and Captain reassured all the customers involved.
‘All those in the cabin were given the option of moving away, and the flight did not depart until everyone confirmed that they were happy to continue.’