Flight from London to Cancun lands in US after fight breaks out on board

July 11, 2025

A TUI-operated British Airways flight from Cancun to London was diverted to Bangor, Maine after an altercation between two passengers. The emergency landing on Tuesday evening forced all 267 passengers to spend the night in Maine as the crew had reached their maximum allowable working hours. Though the fighting passengers weren't criminally charged, they were removed from the aircraft and sent back to their respective countries on separate flights, while the remaining passengers continued their journey to London Gatwick Airport on Wednesday afternoon after a relief crew was brought in.

Who is affected

267 passengers on the TUI-operated flight
The flight crew who timed out
The two passengers involved in the fight who were removed and sent to their home countries
The relief crew brought in to complete the journey

What action is being taken

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processed the two fighting passengers for "expedited removal"
The airline (TUI) brought in a relief crew to continue the flight
The two involved passengers are being returned to their home countries on separate flights

Why it matters

The incident disrupted travel for 267 passengers who were forced to spend an unplanned night in Maine
It demonstrates how in-flight passenger conflicts can significantly impact flight operations and schedules
The situation shows how flight crew time limitations affect emergency diversion scenarios
It illustrates the international procedures for handling passenger conflicts on foreign-to-foreign flights in US airspace

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC