Rugby Player Removed From Plane, Arrested For Allegedly Sexually Harassing Flight Attendants

A rugby player was removed from an EasyJet flight, flying from Bristol, England, to Belfast, Ireland, after flight attendants accused him of sexual harassment, Friday.

The incident occurred as the flight was scheduled to take off from the airport at 12:55 p.m. local time (7:55 a.m. EDT). The flight was already delayed as boarding was completed only at 1.10 p.m. local time. However, due to a group of rugby players, described by passengers as “raucous,” the flight was forced to turn back to the gate, which delayed departure further by more than two hours.

Passenger Rachel Davies, 40, from Wales, who was onboard the aircraft, told the Daily Mail that the players started displaying disruptive behavior even before they had boarded the flight – something that she drew to the attention of the cabin crew as soon as she got into the aircraft.

“It was horrible, it was really dreadful. It was a group of about 20-30 men, aged in their 40s and 50s, and even at the gate they were making a real show of themselves,” she said. “Some of them had definitely had a few drinks. They were being so loud you couldn't hear yourself speak. I just had a feeling that something was going to happen on the flight so, as I had priority boarding, I alerted the cabin crew when I got on the flight.”

She added the airport staff should have done more to restrict the group’s behavior. “One man was slurring his words as he spoke. They should have been curbed at the gate, before they were allowed to board the flight,” she said.

According to Davis, the conduct of the man, who was removed from the flight, worsened after the cabin crew completed their routine safety demonstration.

“One of the men got out of his seat, when we were all supposed to have our seatbelts on, and walked down the aisle towards two female members of staff. I couldn't hear what he said to them, but one of the women said, ‘I am treating this as sexual harassment.’ Then an announcement came over saying that something had happened on board, and the plane would have to return to its parking bay and wait for police,” she said.

As the passengers waited for the police to board the plane, Davies said one of the flight attendants, who was allegedly harassed by the player, started crying and saying she did not feel safe on the flight. When the player was escorted from the plane, one of his friends left with him.

Despite one of their members being arrested, Davies said the group of rugby players continued with their questionable mannerisms.

“What sickened me most was that, after we got off the flight, as we were waiting for the carousel to get our bags, all the other men in the group burst into laughter. They were saying things like she was only looking for a bit of compensation, and that they'd said worse things to their mothers. It was just dreadful. You'd think people would be a bit more careful,” she said.

It was unclear if the unidentified player, who was arrested, was charged by the police.

A spokesperson for Bristol Airport released the following statement regarding the incident: “We want all passengers flying from Bristol Airport to have an enjoyable start to their journey, but anti-social behavior by a minority can spoil the experience for everyone. Any anti-social behavior by a passenger is not accepted by the airport or airlines, and could result in passengers being refused travel. We will assist the police with their investigations. Disruptive behavior on-board an aircraft is illegal and the worst cases can result in fines, travel bans and custodial sentences.”

An EasyJet spokesperson apologized for the inconvenience caused, adding that the “cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately, to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time. Whilst such incidents are rare we take them very seriously, do not tolerate abusive or threatening behavior onboard.”