A Ryanair flight from Bournemouth to Girona descended into chaos last week after a "drunk" passenger allegedly tried to open the emergency exit door in the air.
The trip to the Spanish city had to be diverted to Toulouse, France - with travellers revealing how a "bloody brawl" broke out.
According to witness accounts, the passenger shouted "I want to go" before making his way towards the emergency exit.
Fellow travellers were then forced to physically intervene to prevent him reaching the door.
Witnesses revealed how the furore began when the man emerged from the aircraft lavatory.
He first tried to access one emergency exit before moving on to another.
The trip to the Spanish city had to be diverted to Toulouse, France (file photo)
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Multiple passengers then stepped in - and a fight soon followed.
The man allegedly responded with violence, throwing punches and spitting at those attempting to restrain him.
Eventually, several passengers managed to overpower him in the aisle, securing him to the floor using a seatbelt extender wrapped around his ankles to stop any further violence.
The confrontation lasted around half an hour, with at least three individuals required to subdue the disruptive passenger.
"It was horrible, there was blood everywhere. There were people screaming and crying," one passenger recounted.
Several passengers were reduced to tears, while others experienced panic attacks during the fracas.
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French police were forced to intervene on the ground in Toulouse (file photo)
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Upon landing in Toulouse, more than a dozen French police officers boarded the aircraft to remove the disruptive passenger.
Video evidence captured the man, dressed in a white shirt and orange shorts, struggling as officers hauled him across the tarmac.
Once he had been dealt with, the aircraft resumed its journey to Girona, arriving just two hours behind schedule.
One witness said: "He tried to stand to go to the toilet while we were taking off. When asked to sit down, he shouted: 'I need a p*** mate,' but then sat down.
"Once in the air, he then stumbled to the front, trying to open the doors in a panic. He was totally inebriated and wanted to get off the flight.
"Two men tried to calm and restrain him but he started spitting and swinging for everyone, crashing into people. One big guy warned him he was going to take him down if he carried on - and he did - so he took him to the floor in a military style."
A Ryanair spokesman said: "This flight from Bournemouth to Girona (September 4) was diverted to Toulouse after a passenger became disruptive onboard.
"Crew called ahead for police assistance, who met the aircraft upon landing at Toulouse Airport and offloaded this passenger before this flight continued to Girona.
"Ryanair has a strict zero tolerance policy towards passenger misconduct and will continue to take decisive action to combat unruly passenger behaviour, ensuring that all passengers and crew travel in a respectful and stress-free environment, without unnecessary disruption."