EasyJet plane forced to make emergency landing after families 'brawl' over The Karate Kid

7 March 2025, 12:02

An easyJet plane was forced to make an emergency landing after a dispute between two families allegedly became physical and abusive.

The pilot of the flight from Lanzarote to Gatwick Airport was forced to land the plane at Porto Airport in Portugal, where the two families were thrown off and greeted by police.

The incident reportedly started when a woman became irritated at a boy watching The Karate Kid four rows behind her and asked him to turn it off.

The boy’s mother, 26, claims he was watching the film on low volume, but alleges the woman became aggressive and started shouting racial abuse at him.

She also alleges that the woman's other half grabbed her disabled partner by the neck.

Speaking to The Sun, the mother of the boy said: “This incident involved racial abuse, discrimination, and physical assault. My son was left extremely scared and distressed.”

Sources reportedly said both families were aggressive towards the cabin crew.

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The boy’s mother is threatening to sue easyJet, insisting they were the victims of the incident.

She said her family should have been supported and that she had not heard back from easyJet despite nine months of complaining to the airline, which has banned those involved from future flights.

A spokesperson for easyJet said: “Safety is our highest priority. We do not tolerate disruptive behaviour.”