Easyjet flight chaos hits UK airport as holidaymakers stranded after 'disruptive passenger' incident

Flight EZY3077 had been scheduled to depart at 12.55pm on January 3.

However, the intervention by officers caused significant delays.

The disruption proved catastrophic for fellow passengers' holiday plans.

By the time the troublesome group was escorted off the plane, crew members had exceeded their legally mandated working hours.

As a result, the airline was forced to cancel the service entirely.

Passengers now face a wait until Monday to reach their destination.

An EasyJet spokesman said "Our cabin crew are trained to assess all situations and to act quickly and appropriately, to ensure that the safety of the flight and other customers is not compromised at any time.

"We take these incidents seriously and do not tolerate disruptive behaviour on board."

The airline also confirmed it would provide hotel rooms and meals for those affected by the cancellation.

"Unfortunately, this delay led to the crew reaching their safety regulated operating hours which has resulted in the flight being rescheduled to tomorrow," the spokesman added.

Meanwhile, the Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed officers was on hand to deal with the disruptive passengers.

The force said it "assisted Belfast International Airport Constabulary with the disembarkation of passengers" from the aircraft.

However, PSNI provided no further details about the nature of the disturbance.

EasyJet went on to express its regret over the situation.

The spokesman said: "The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is always EasyJet's highest priority and while this was outside of our control, we are sorry for the inconvenience this will have caused."

The airline maintained that its cabin crew had acted appropriately in requesting police assistance to deal with the unruly passengers.

Belfast International Airport is the 13th busiest airport in the UK.

It welcomes six million passengers annually, with Belfast City Airport providing services for around two million more.

This weekend's incident comes just weeks after two men were released on bail following their arrest at Belfast International Airport on suspicion of offences connected to a brawl in Coalisland.

The altercation, which took place Ballynakilly Road on August 27 last year, reportedly included vehicle ramming and bladed weapons.

Two men, aged 27 and 24, were detained by officers from Dungannon and were supported by crews from Antrim and the Belfast International Airport Constabulary.

Enquirers are ongoing and the investigation continues.