Ryanair flight grounded as passenger 'tries to open emergency exit' in mid-air

A Ryanair flight was grounded at Manchester Airport after a passenger tried to "open an emergency exit'" mid-air, causing chaos on board.

According to fellow passengers,those on board attempted to stop the woman and alerted cabin crew, who then involved the captain.

The passenger was removed from the emergency exit seat and the captain had to remain by the exit. The plane was landed and the woman involved was “escorted off the plane by Greater Manchester Police”, said the fellow passenger.

Engineers were then brought on to inspect the damage, and replace parts, according to the witness. The flight is now back in the air after restarting its journey from Manchester to Agadir in Morocco.

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The plane departed its gate as planned just after 9am, and took of at around 9.20am this morning (August 25) from Manchester's terminal three. It began its journey to north Africa's Al-Massira International Airport.

But it was diverted and landed back at Manchester Airport around an hour later, at around 10.09am, according to the flight trackers, Flight Radar 24 and Flight Aware.

A passenger on the plane told the Manchester Evening News: "The Ryanair flight RK1266 [from Manchester] for Agadir in Morocco [was] diverted back to Manchester Airport due to a passenger attempting to open emergency exit.

"However she was only able to get the plastic covering off and as a result was unsuccessful, as other passengers stopped her and made cabin crew aware of the situation at 9.30am, who then made the captain aware.

"The passenger was moved from the emergency exit seat and the captain remained at the emergency exit until we landed back at Manchester Airport.

"The plane landed safely and the passenger involved was escorted off the plane by Greater Manchester Police. "Engineers came to check the door and replaced the plastic covers." The flight spent an hour and seven minutes in the air before landing again in Manchester.

The flight, RUK1266, then restarted its journey at 11.22am and is currently around an one hour and a half into its journey of just short of four hours, as per Flight Aware data.

The plane is now flying over northern Spain. Ryanair, Manchester Airport and Greater Manchester Police have all been contacted for comment.