A letting agent from South London has slammed easyJet after a mid-air bust-up over her five-year-old son watching The Karate Kid forced an emergency landing.
The holiday flight from Lanzarote to Gatwick descended into chaos at 30,000ft when a row broke out between two families.
The plane was diverted to Porto, where both families were met by police and removed from the flight.
The mother, a 26-year-old lettings officer, insists her family were the victims and is threatening legal action against the airline, accusing easyJet of mishandling the situation.
THE KARATE KID
She explained that the trouble started when her son was quietly watching the 2010 remake of The Karate Kid on his iPad with the volume turned down. But The Sun reported last week that a woman sitting four rows ahead allegedly became irritated and demanded the boy turn it off.
“When I defended my son, the situation escalated,” said the mother. “Not only was my son shouted at, but I was subjected to racial abuse — and my disabled partner was physically assaulted when the woman’s partner grabbed him by the neck.”
Despite her pleas for support, the pilot opted to land in Porto, leaving both families stranded to arrange their own way home.
DIFFICULT SITUATIONS
The letting agent, who has spent nine months chasing a response from easyJet, said: “I deal with difficult situations daily in my job, but never did I expect to be in fear for my family’s safety on a flight. My son was left terrified.”
EasyJet maintains that the decision to divert was made in the interest of safety, stating: “We do not tolerate disruptive behaviour.”
Sources claim both families were aggressive towards the crew, but the mother continues to push for answers and accountability.
