Gran Canaria-bound flight from Bucharest diverts to Málaga over disruptive passenger

A flight travelling from Bucharest to Gran Canaria was diverted to Málaga airport on Saturday afternoon because of a disruptive passenger on board, Diario Sur reported.

According to the newspaper, the passenger was apparently under the influence of drugs. The information was first made public by the Controladores aéreos (air traffic controllers) account on X, formerly Twitter, which Diario Sur cited.

What the controllers said

According to that account, the crew contacted the Seville air traffic control centre and said they urgently needed to divert to Málaga because of a passenger described as disruptive and apparently affected by psychoactive substances.

The crew asked for the Guardia Civil, Spain's national police force with responsibility for security at airports, to be present when the aircraft arrived. The controllers said the operation was coordinated with Málaga airport. They said the aircraft was given a continuous descent and a direct approach to runway 12 with priority.

The controllers' post also expressed support for crews and passengers who, in its words, "increasingly often have to put up with this kind of situation".

What is not known

The source material does not say which airline operated the flight, how many people were on board, or what happened after the aircraft landed. It does not say whether the Guardia Civil detained or charged anyone, or whether the flight later continued to Gran Canaria. The claim that the passenger was under the influence of drugs is described only as apparent, and has not been confirmed by an official body in the reports available to us.

We will update this article if the Guardia Civil, the airport operator or the airline provides further details.