Published on Saturday 14 December 2002 00:00
BRAWLING Celtic fans yesterday
caused a mid-air riot, forcing the pilot of their chartered aircraft to divert to Cardiff Airport as they returned from Spain.
RAF helicopters were scrambled to assist the Glasgow-bound Boeing 737 after its pilot issued a mayday call when supporters travelling back from Celtic’s UEFA cup tie against Celta Vigo became involved in a fracas at 30,000ft, described by police sources as a "mile-high bar-room brawl".
Six Celtic fans were arrested by South Wales Police and a further dozen fans detained after riot police stormed the plane, owned by Astraeus, a British-based airline, after it taxied to an unscheduled halt on the main runway at Cardiff Airport.
It is understood the jet was diverted as it crossed the Bay of Biscay, when a row broke out between a stewardess and two passengers she allegedly caught smoking in the aircraft’s toilet.
Witnesses claimed that a full-scale brawl broke out in the aisle of the plane after one man refused to extinguish his cigarette, prompting a number of other supporters to wrestle him to the ground. Two stewardesses aboard the flight were injured, forcing the pilot to issue a mayday call requesting permission to divert the 737 to the nearest airport.
Just a fly smoke, eh
Two stewardesses injured