Armed police meet Gatwick TUI flight after 'tequila terror' incident

Fellow passengers said a group of men and women had been swigging from large bottles of duty-free-bought tequila and began arguing aggressively midway through the cross-Atlantic flight from Cancun in Mexico.

One eyewitness said he was appalled by the “disgusting” language used by the group, as terrified young families also awoke to the chaotic scene unfolding.

Mac Mack, who was flying home after visiting a friend in Cancun, said the trouble had begun at the airport when the group had tried to push in line at the departure gate.

"Apparently they had been drinking before and at the time of the incident," the 58-year-old, from South London, explained.

"They were all UK nationals. They refused to give their passports to cabin crew.

"They had upset people initially by pushing into them in the line at Cancun Airport. I was surprised it didn't end up in fisticuffs.

"They were fine initially, but on TUI flights they stop serving alcohol after dinner.

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"[The group] started on their duty-free booze, according to passengers sitting near them."

The group had reportedly refused to hand their passports to cabin crew and were escorted off the runway at Gatwick by armed police officers carrying guns and tasers.

One woman in the group can be heard shouting hysterically in a video of the incident, saying, “Don't touch me”.

Armed police meeting passengers at Gatwick Airport (Image: Mac Mack / SWNS)

Passengers said they saw cabin crew asking the group to behave and telling them to hand over their passports - which they refused to do.

Mr Mack said that around quarter to four in the morning - shortly after the plane had flown over the east coast of Canada - a “loud and aggressive” argument broke out, with cabin crew desperately trying to calm the unruly group.

"It was tequila terror at 60,000 feet," he continued.

"There were kids on the flight and a lot of people were woken up to people screaming obscenities at each other.

"Passengers were scared; if it had kicked off against the cabin crew, it would have been the group against just seven or eight skinny girls and boys.

"They eventually shut up and calmed down."

"As we hit the stand at Gatwick the captain told everyone to stay in their seats and five or six armed police came on board.

"The group was mixed, both men and women, with mixed ages from around 18 to some in their 50s.”

Mr Mack added that once police boarded the plane the passengers seemed 'contrite'.

"As we hit the stand at Gatwick the captain told everyone to stay in their seats and five or six armed police came on board," he said.

"There were seven or more outside the plane with carbines, pistols, tasers...

"They were very contrite when faced by the Old Bill at Gatwick."

Another elderly male passenger, who did not want to be named, added: "I was really concerned about the disgusting language being used in front of my wife.

"One of them hit the back of my seat, thrusting it upright as he joined the argument."

A spokesperson for Sussex Police said: "Police are investigating a report of a disturbance on board a flight inbound to London Gatwick from Cancun on October 1.

"Officers have spoken with passengers and crew.

“Anyone with information is asked to report it to Sussex Police online, quoting serial 224 of 01/10."

TUI has been approached for comment.