Arguing couple diverts Bangkok flight to Delhi: 'Tried to burn a blanket'
A Lufthansa flight from Munich, Germany, to Bangkok, Thailand, was forced to divert after an arguing couple caused a major scene onboard.
According to Lufthansa spokesperson Tal Muscal, flight 772 left Munich as scheduled Tuesday, but the Airbus A380 had to divert to Delhi, India, due to an unruly passenger.
The Times of India reported that a 53-year-old German man was arguing with his wife, who is believed to be Thai. He “threw food, tried to burn a blanket using a lighter, shouted at his wife and did not follow the instructions issued by the crew,” according to the paper.
“The person in question was handed over to the authorities,” Muscal said. “The passenger has been banned from traveling on Lufthansa Group flights with immediate effect.”
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Unruly passengers have been a significant issue across the aviation industry in recent years. While the Federal Aviation Administration doesn’t have jurisdiction over flights between Germany and Thailand, it is stepping up enforcement and penalties against poorly-behaved passengers in the U.S., along with the Department of Justice.
Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at zwichter@usatoday.com
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Passenger loses flying privilege after causing Lufthansa diversion
