A Jet2 holiday flight from Antalya to Manchester was forced to divert to Brussels after a violent brawl erupted in the cabin at 30,000 feet, in an incident that has reignited concerns about unruly passengers, in-flight alcohol and racism in the air. The diversion, on flight LS896 on Thursday 12 February 2026, led to Belgian police boarding the aircraft, removing two men in handcuffs and leaving shaken families and holidaymakers to continue their journey hours late to the United Kingdom.
What Happened On Board Jet2 Flight LS896
Jet2 flight LS896 departed Antalya on the afternoon of 12 February, bound for Manchester with what should have been a routine four to five hour sector popular with British holidaymakers returning from Turkey. Somewhere over mainland Europe, the atmosphere on board changed dramatically as a dispute between passengers escalated from offensive remarks into a physical fight in the aisle.
Witnesses describe two men who had been drinking becoming increasingly aggressive toward cabin crew and fellow travellers after a disagreement reportedly involving requests for cigarettes and the use of mobile phones to film their behaviour. Shouting was soon followed by pushing and shoving, then by punches being thrown as other passengers tried to step in.
Footage shared publicly shows chaotic scenes, with several people grappling in the aisle, others screaming for calm and at least one man being held in what appears to be a chokehold. A member of the cabin crew can be heard shouting at people to sit down and reminding them there were children on board, but her pleas were largely drowned out by the noise of the confrontation.
As the brawl continued and the cabin became increasingly distressed, the captain made the decision to divert the flight rather than continue to the United Kingdom. The aircraft changed course for Brussels, where authorities were on standby to meet it on arrival.
Timeline Of The Diversion To Brussels
According to flight tracking data and airline statements, LS896 left Antalya on the evening of 12 February and had already covered a significant portion of its journey when the situation deteriorated. Once it was clear that cabin crew and other passengers were struggling to contain the violence, the captain declared a disruption serious enough to justify an unscheduled landing.
The Boeing 737 descended into Brussels, touching down earlier than its scheduled arrival time into Manchester but significantly off route. Passengers on board later recounted a tense final phase of the flight, with some travellers still visibly shaken and injured while the aircraft made its way to the Belgian capital.
On the ground in Brussels, Belgian police officers boarded the aircraft and moved directly to the centre of the disturbance. Video from inside the cabin shows officers approaching the men believed to have instigated the brawl, speaking to them briefly and then escorting them from the aircraft. Other passengers can be heard jeering as the men are removed, reflecting the anger and fear that had built up during the incident.
Once the two disruptive passengers and their belongings had been taken off, the crew conducted security and safety checks before the flight was permitted to continue to Manchester. LS896 eventually reached its original destination later that night, arriving several hours behind schedule with tired, upset but relieved passengers on board.
Racist Abuse And Alcohol: What Sparked The Mid-Air Brawl
While official investigations into the full circumstances are still under way, multiple eyewitness accounts point to a toxic combination of drinking and alleged racist abuse as the spark for the confrontation. Passengers have reported that one man began making racist remarks directed at travellers of Pakistani origin seated nearby, with comments becoming louder and more explicit as the flight went on.
Attempts by those targeted and by other passengers to ignore the taunts were apparently unsuccessful, as the man continued to provoke those around him. The situation worsened when he and another male passenger grew angry over restrictions on buying or smoking cigarettes and over being filmed on mobile phones, at which point their aggression turned physical.
Families on board, including children and elderly travellers, were caught in the middle as the brawl spilled into the aisle. Passengers later described seeing blood on seats and the floor and spoke of the sheer shock of witnessing such violence in the confined space of an aircraft cabin. One eyewitness called it among the most distressing travel experiences of their life.
Although some of the details differ slightly between accounts, the consistent themes are alcohol consumption, escalating verbal abuse with a racial dimension and a breakdown of respect for both fellow passengers and crew. For many observers, it is a stark reminder that issues of racism and aggressive behaviour on the ground do not disappear at the aircraft door.
How Jet2 And Belgian Authorities Responded
Jet2 has taken an uncompromising line in the immediate aftermath of the incident. In a statement, the leisure airline confirmed that two disruptive passengers were offloaded in Brussels and that both have been banned from flying with the carrier for life. The airline has also said it will seek to recover the considerable costs associated with diverting a packed holiday flight to another country.
Those costs can include additional fuel, air traffic control charges, airport handling fees, crew duty time extensions and compensation or care for delayed passengers. Airlines increasingly pursue disruptive travellers for these expenses in civil actions, both as a deterrent and to prevent the broader customer base from bearing the financial burden of a small minority.
Belgian police confirmed that the two men were taken into custody on landing and that an investigation into their conduct is under way. Depending on the evidence gathered, they could face charges related to public order, assault or endangering the safety of an aircraft. Any conviction in Belgium would be in addition to administrative and civil penalties pursued by the airline itself.
Crew members on board have been widely praised by witnesses for their persistent efforts to calm the situation, protect other passengers and coordinate with the flight deck. Video footage shows one flight attendant repeatedly placing herself between the aggressors and other travellers, demonstrating the front line role cabin crew play in maintaining safety and security in the air.
What This Means For Affected Passengers
For the majority of passengers on LS896, the incident meant a long and unsettling journey home. Travellers experienced an unscheduled landing in a foreign country, a period of uncertainty on the apron in Brussels while police and ground handlers worked through the situation, and a late-night arrival into Manchester after what was supposed to be a straightforward return from holiday.
Many will also have endured significant emotional stress. Witnessing a violent fight in an enclosed cabin, hearing children cry and seeing police officers board the plane is far from the relaxed holiday atmosphere people expect when booking a leisure airline flight. Some passengers may need time to process what happened, and such experiences can contribute to anxiety about flying in the future.
In terms of practical impact, affected travellers are likely to be covered by the airline’s duty of care obligations, including refreshments and potentially ground transport support depending on the length of the delay and the timing of their eventual arrival. However, because the disruption was caused by fellow passengers rather than by the airline itself, compensation regimes can be more complex and will depend on local regulation and Jet2’s own policies.
For those who were directly involved in trying to break up the fight or who suffered injuries, there may also be follow-up with law enforcement as witnesses. Investigators typically take statements from multiple people present in order to build a complete picture of events in the cabin.
Growing Concerns Over Unruly Passengers
The diversion of LS896 is the latest in a series of high-profile incidents worldwide involving unruly or violent passengers. Since travel demand rebounded after the pandemic, airlines and regulators have reported spikes in cases ranging from non-compliance with crew instructions to full-scale fights that require physical restraint and emergency landings.
Industry bodies have warned that a mix of in-flight alcohol consumption, pre-travel drinking at airports, heightened personal stress and the wider social climate can all contribute to disruptive behaviour once passengers are on board. Incidents with a racist or discriminatory element are of particular concern, both for the individuals targeted and for the message they send more broadly.
Airlines such as Jet2 have responded with strengthened zero-tolerance policies, clearer warnings during the booking process and at the boarding gate, and closer cooperation with airport police. Lifetime bans and civil recovery of diversion costs are now increasingly common tools used to underline the seriousness of the offences.
Regulators in Europe and beyond have also urged governments to streamline prosecution across borders when an incident occurs in international airspace. Because the LS896 diversion involved Turkish departure, Belgian landing and a British carrier, authorities in all three jurisdictions may be involved in some way in assessing the consequences of what happened.
What Travellers Should Know About Safety And Their Rights
For everyday travellers, the Jet2 Brussels diversion serves as a reminder of both the protections in place and the responsibilities shared by everyone on board. Cabin crew are trained to deal with conflict, de-escalation and, where necessary, restraint, but they rely on passengers following instructions quickly and avoiding actions that inflame a volatile situation.
If you find yourself on a flight where tensions are rising, the safest course is usually to remain seated, keep clear of the immediate conflict and let trained crew and, where appropriate, volunteer passengers handle any physical intervention. Filming can help document events but may also escalate anger if it is perceived as provocative, as appears to have been the case in this incident.
From a rights perspective, passengers are entitled to expect a safe environment free from harassment, discrimination and violence. If an incident caused by others leads to a diversion or major delay, you may be eligible for assistance, refreshments and alternative travel arrangements under consumer protection rules, although cash compensation often depends on local laws and whether the airline could reasonably prevent the disruption.
Above all, the events on LS896 underline that aggressive or racist conduct in the air is not a victimless outburst. It has real consequences for hundreds of people caught in a confined space and can lead to life-changing bans, legal charges and financial claims for those responsible. As airlines, regulators and passengers absorb the lessons from this latest mid-air brawl, the hope is that firm action and public scrutiny will help deter similar scenes in the future.