Passengers aboard a packed early morning easyJet flight from Luton to Glasgow were left terrified when a man stood up mid-flight and shouted that he had a bomb on board.
The incident occurred on Flight EZY609 around 7am Sunday morning, and quickly descended into chaos as passengers scrambled to restrain the 41-year-old man, who has since been arrested by Police Scotland.
In videos posted to social media, the man is seen standing near the back of the aircraft, shouting:
“Stop the plane! Find the bomb on the plane! Death to America! Death to Trump!”
He then yelled “Allahu Akbar” three times — a phrase meaning “God is greatest” in Arabic.
Passengers immediately sprang into action. A man from row 21 tackled the suspect to the floor, pinning him down with help from another passenger who sat on top of him and ordered: “Sit down, don’t move.”
Fear gripped the cabin as people could be heard asking:
“Who is he with?” and “Does he have his phone?”
Concerned passengers interrogated the man directly:
“Do you have a bomb?”
“Have you been drinking?”
“Why did you say you wanted to bomb this plane?”
In a tense moment, passengers rifled through the suspect’s belongings, searching his bag, pockets, and even his clothing. “Check everywhere,” one woman pleaded. “Not just his pockets—check his body.”
The man’s wallet and ID were recovered, and one visibly shaken woman was heard sobbing during an emotional phone call with a loved one.
As the plane approached Glasgow, the cabin crew remained calm, informing passengers:
“The plane will be landing very shortly.”
Upon touchdown around 8:20am, police boarded the aircraft and arrested the man, who was still lying prone in the aisle. Video shows officers standing over him while asking if he planned to remain calm. “I’m calm now,” the suspect replied.
When he asked officers for his “phone and wallet,” fellow passengers responded with anger and laughter. “F*** off,” one snapped. Another joked, “This is like a comedy sketch.”
easyJet issued a statement, confirming the incident:
“Flight EZY609 from Luton to Glasgow this morning was met by police on arrival in Glasgow, where they boarded the aircraft and removed a passenger due to their behaviour onboard.
“Our crew are trained to assess all situations and act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other customers are not compromised.”
Police Scotland also confirmed the arrest, stating:
“We received a report of a man causing a disturbance on a flight arriving in Glasgow around 8.20am on Sunday, 27 July. Officers boarded the plane on arrival and a 41-year-old man was arrested and remains in custody.
“At this time, we believe the incident was contained and that nobody else was involved. We are aware of videos circulating online and these are being assessed by counter terrorism officers.”
Investigations are ongoing, and counter terrorism officials are reviewing all available footage.