An airline barred 2 passengers after an in-flight brawl and plans to go after them for the cost of diverting the plane

• British budget airline Jet2 barred two people after a midair brawl prompted a diversion on Thursday.
• Jet2 said it plans to "vigorously pursue" the pair to recoup costs for the diversion.
• Unruly passengers can face civil and criminal prosecution in addition to airline lawsuits.

"Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday" — except when it ends in a midair brawl.

The British budget carrier has issued lifetime bans to two passengers after a flight from Turkey to England diverted to Belgium on Thursday following a fight on board, the airline told multiple news outlets.

It's unclear what caused the altercation, but videos circulating on social media show passengers screaming and pushing as cabin crew and others attempted to break it up. The plane later continued to the UK after police removed the two passengers.

Jet2 said in a statement that the pair exhibited "appalling behavior" and that it would "vigorously pursue them" to recoup the costs of the diversion.

Diversions aren't cheap: they can cost airlines tens of thousands of dollars in fuel, labor, and airport fees. Any hotel and transportation costs also add up.

"As a family-friendly airline, we take a zero-tolerance approach to disruptive passenger behaviour, and we are very sorry that other customers and our colleagues on board had to experience this too," the airline said.

Jet2 has a history of chasing down unruly passengers. In 2019, the airline barred a disruptive traveler and billed her about $115,000 after she attempted to open an exit door midair, prompting a diversion escorted by military jets. In 2022, two brothers who fought on board another Jet2 flight forced a diversion and were later charged about $68,000 and issued lifetime bans.

Other airlines have taken similar approaches, seeking reimbursement from passengers whose behavior disrupted flights.

Budget competitor Ryanair, for example, last year filed a lawsuit seeking about $18,000 from a passenger it described as disruptive after a diversion to Portugal in April 2024 left 160 people needing overnight accommodation.

Unruly passenger incidents surged during the pandemic, when mask mandates fueled confrontations between travelers and airline staff.

Data from the Federal Aviation Administration shows there were nearly 6,000 reports on US airlines in 2021 — up about 500% from roughly 1,000 the year before.

Reports fell to about 2,500 in 2022 and further to roughly 1,600 in 2025, though they still remain well above pre-pandemic levels. There have been 126 reports so far in 2026.

The FAA maintains a zero-tolerance policy and has issued more than $20 million in civil fines since 2020 (these are separate from the money airlines can collect through lawsuits).

In more extreme cases — such as physical assaults on crew — passengers have faced criminal prosecution, including by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, resulting in larger fines and jail time.