Footage has emerged of crew members onboard an Emirates flight from Dubai to Islamabad overpowering a passenger who had become drunk and unruly. The passenger was eventually arrested upon the aircraft’s arrival at the Pakistani airport, with no injuries reported among any of the passengers and crew on the flight.
The flight in question was operating from Dubai International Airport (DXB) to Islamabad International Airport (ISB) on the evening of February 24, 2024. The flight, with flight number EK614, was being operated by one of Emirates’ 123-strong fleet of Boeing 777-300ERs registered A6-ENI. The flight departed Dubai at 17:57 local time for the three-hour flight to its destination.
In an impressive display of decisive action from several cabin crew members posted online, the disruptive male passenger is seen attempting to headbutt one of the male crew members on the flight. However, following this, the passenger is taken down by several members of the Emirates crew and restrained, using a pair of black handcuffs passed to them from another crew member.
The flight landed in Islamabad around 20:21 on February 25, 2024, where the intoxicated passenger was escorted off the aircraft, still restrained, in a wheelchair. Despite efforts to calm him down and sober him up with water, the passenger remained disruptive, according to local reports. However, the same reports also stated that despite the havoc caused onboard the Emirates flight, the culprit may have “influential connections” in Pakistan and could avoid criminal charges as a result.
Instances of disruptive behavior aboard flights pose increasingly significant challenges to airlines and can jeopardize the safety and comfort of passengers and crew. In response, many airlines are prioritizing comprehensive training programs to equip their staff with the techniques required to manage unruly incidents with professionalism and efficiency – as seen in this case.
Emirates has issued a formal statement regarding the incident.
“Emirates can confirm that there was an unruly passenger on flight EK614 travelling from Dubai to Islamabad on 24 February,” an Emirates spokesperson said in an emailed statement to AeroTime. ‘The passenger was restrained by cabin crew and upon arrival, was handed over to the authorities. The safety of our passengers and crew is of critical importance and Emirates strives to ensure this is never compromised. Emirates is cooperating with the authorities at this time and cannot comment further.”
To deal with such issues, which are increasingly common, Emirates cabin crew receive annual Taekwondo training to learn how to effectively restrain passengers in such cases.
Drunkenness on flights to Pakistan is not uncommon. Some passengers view international travel as an opportunity to over-consume alcohol before arriving in the country where alcohol consumption is strictly regulated. Consumption of alcohol in Pakistan is usually only permitted for foreign nationals staying in select hotels in the country’s major cities.
UPDATE February 27, 2024, 10:56 (UTC +3): A statement by Emirates was added to the article.