Twitter A screengrab of the video showing the brawl.
A large brawl broke out on a flight this past weekend after two passengers refused to wear face masks and were confronted by their fellow passengers. The incident occurred on a Friday KLM flight from Amsterdam to Ibiza. The fight was captured on video by Instagram user @michighclub, who posted it to social media with the caption: “Panic and violent brawl! Unruly English passenger on board KLM flight to Ibiza, he had been drinking Gregus vodka. They refused to wear facemasks. 2 arrests were made.”
The video is available on Twitter below:
The video shows many passengers pushing and shoving a shirtless passenger who has a bloody nose. Many of the passengers aren’t wearing facemasks. One person can be heard shouting, “Stop now! There are kids over here!” The video then shows the shirtless passenger restrained on the ground with his arms behind his back.
The Brawl Began When 2 Passengers Refused to Wear Masks & They Were Arrested Upon Landing in Ibiza, Spain
In a statement to the UK’s Independent news outlet, KLM said that both passengers were restrained thanks to other passengers and they were arrested by the Spanish police when the plane landed in Ibiza. A spokesperson said the skirmish began when “Two unruly passengers refused to wear their face masks, and they were bothering their fellow passengers physically and verbally.”
“The pilot informed the local authorities and upon arrival, both passengers were arrested,” the statement continued. “The flight safety was not compromised during the flight.” The outlet also reported that all passengers had been checked for masks during boarding and regular reminders were given throughout the flight.
KLM requires all of its passengers to wear face masks on flights at all times until at least August 31. Airports in the Netherlands also require people to wear face masks inside the terminals as per government policy.
Spain is similarly enforcing a mask policy and has put strict measures in place in the Balearic Islands, which are extremely popular for tourists. As of July 13, Majorca, Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera all require people to wear masks when out in public, with the exception of beaches, seafront promenades, in a swimming pool, in the countryside or while eating at a restaurant. According to Express, police are prepared to fine tourists if they’re found breaking the rule, with fines ranging from £22 to £90.
A Delta Flight Recently Had to Return to Its Gate When 2 Passengers Refused to Wear Masks
Nothing is more important than the health and safety of our people and our customers.
Starting May 4, Delta will require all customers to wear an appropriate face covering or mask throughout their travel, aligning with best practice guidelines from @CDCgov.
Wearing face masks has been a point of contention for many people since it began getting mandated by some state and local governments or by private businesses. The above incident occurred in Europe, but a similar — if less violent — incident occurred in the U.S. recently. On July 23, a Delta flight from Detroit to Atlanta was forced to turn around and return to the gate when two passengers refused to wear face masks.
A Delta spokesperson told CNN: “Flight 1227 from Detroit to Atlanta returned to the gate following two customers who were non-compliant with crew instructions. After a short delay, the aircraft departed to Atlanta.” This incident occurred just a day after the Delta CEO Ed Bastian told Today that passengers who refuse to wear masks will be banned from flights.
“You cannot board a Delta plane unless you have a mask on,” Bastian said. “If you board the plane and you insist on not wearing your mask, we will insist that you don’t fly Delta into the future.” He said the airline had already banned over 100 people over their refusal to wear a face mask.
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