Police go to Scotland for air inquiry

The incident sparked an expensive security alert

Police investigating the mid-air disturbance aboard a charter plane that forced it to land at Cardiff are to travel to Glasgow to interview passengers on the flight.

Six Celtic football fans among 148 on board the Boeing jet were arrested and later bailed when the plane was diverted on its way back from Santiago last Friday.

Two officers from South Wales Police will go to Scotland at the end of the week to hold speak to some of the passengers for the second time.

Armed police met fans coming off the plane

Officers have already interviewed the plane's cabin crew and pilot.

The pilot had sent out a mayday call after an incident involving passengers smoking led to a female cabin attendent being hit on the arm.

But the football fans on board said the decision to divert had been an "over-reaction" on the part of the plane's crew.

Near riot

The situation on board was at one point described as a near riot, and two RAF helicopters were mobilised along with police, fire and ambulances.

However fans said the extent of the trouble was a row over a small group of fans who had been smoking in the plane's toilet and denied allegations two female members of the cabin crew had been assaulted.

Fans said the "terrifying" descent of the plane led many to believe it was going to crash.

Most of the plane's 148 passengers completed their return journey to Glasgow from a Uefa cup clash with Spanish side Celta Vigo by coach, arriving at about 0700 GMT on Saturday.

David McKenna, 40, who was the first to disembark from a coach, held up a piece of paper reading "not guilty".

'No announcement'

He said: "They certainly overreacted. Nothing happened on that flight. It is just unbelievable, we never expected this."

This passenger objected to being asked to extinguish his cigarette

Ian Macauley, airline spokesman

The fans alleged their plane had engine problems going out of Glasgow and Santiago, and that about an hour and a half into the journey it had nose-dived and stewards were running around like "maniacs".

Another passenger, Ryan Kerr, 26, said: "The first time we knew there was something wrong was when everyone was told to put on their seatbelts and the plane nose-dived.

"Because we had engine problems earlier, I thought there was something wrong with the plane and we were going down. It was terrifying."

Mr Kerr added: "No one told us where we had landed - it was only when I saw the sign saying welcome to Cardiff Airport, that I knew where we were."

Fans admitted at least two passengers had been caught smoking in the toilets on the Boeing, operated by Gatwick-based chartered airline Astraeus.

'Absolutely nothing'

Pat Coogan, 50, also said there had been a "massive overreaction" by cabin crew and the pilot.

"Nothing happened, absolutely nothing," he said.

But the airline involved has stood by its pilot's decision to divert the flight.

Iain Macauley, spokesman for Gatwick-based charter airline Astraeus said there had been two disturbances on the aircraft.

Smoking

The first, at the front, involved a passenger smoking, he said.

Mr Macauley added: "A senior cabin crew member pointed out that it was against air travel regulations to smoke on the aircraft.

"This passenger objected to being asked to extinguish his cigarette."

Fans deny crew members were assaulted

He said the second incident occurred at the rear of the aircraft cabin, after the captain made an announcement that the behaviour at the front of the aircraft would not be tolerated.

Mr Macauley said: "A number of passengers at the rear of the aircraft objected strongly, one female passenger becoming particularly agitated, and at least 10 other passengers became involved.

"In the ensuing fracas the cabin crew member was struck on the arm."

Safety

Mr Macauley added that the cabin crew felt matters were threatening the safety of the aircraft and the pilot made the decision to divert to Cardiff.

He also claimed that alcohol was consumed by some of the passengers onboard, although it had been forbidden.