A Delta flight was forced to land in Canada after a passenger became “unruly.” Tracking data revealed that flight DL97 departed from Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport in France at about 10:30 a.m. on Friday and was destined for Detroit, Michigan. But the plane made an unscheduled stop at Stephenville Dymond International Airport in Canada at around 12:32 p.m.
According to a representative from Delta, the passenger was arrested after the plane touched down by Royal Canadian Mounted Police. Earlier, he had broken free of his restraints and had to be held down by several other passengers until the plane finally landed.
Dena Haddad, a passenger on the Delta flight, told WXYZ Detroit that the arrested individual was “violent, and they wouldn’t calm down.”
Lew Short, the CEO of Stephenville Airport Corporation, identified the arrested passenger as Ahmed Omar Amaden, 34. Amaden was charged with behaving in a way that endangered the passengers’ safety by “interfering with the duty of the crew.” Short said Amaden appeared in court in Stephenville, Canada on June 5.
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Forced landings due to disorderly passengers have occurred frequently in recent years. Last year, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), there were more than 2,300 reports of disruptive passenger behavior. In April of this year, a United flight turned back three hours into its journey after a “disruptive” traveler sat in a crew seat and argued with flight attendants. Similarly, in February, an American Airlines flight landed early after a passenger who was denied a drink charged the cockpit.
