Two drunken British women who attacked airline staff with a vodka bottle and tried to open the emergency exit at 30,000 feet forced a pilot to divert and make an unscheduled landing.

Cabin crew and passengers wrestled with the pair who had earlier been caught smoking in the aircraft toilet on the flight back from Kos, Greece.

They were overpowered and pinned to the ground amid rounds of applause as a steward strapped their hands behind their backs with plastic cuffs.

Then the pilot apologised and announced the flight would have to divert to Frankfurt in Germany where armed police were waiting to arrest the women, aged 26 and 27.

Wrestle: The women were restrained on the plane, similar to this one, following their drunken outburst

The drama emerged as a witness told how passengers screamed in fear as flight attendants grappled with the drunken pair, who had opened up their duty free in their seats and started drinking heavily.

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One of the 214 passengers aboard  told Bavaria Radio: 'It was a hell of a scene. One of them was lashing out with a vodka bottle after being refused more booze and the other went to the emergency exit yelling "I want some fresh air".

'It was a nightmare, we all thought we had had our chips. But the crew were brilliant, wrestling them to the ground and slapping plastic cuffs on them.'

The pilot put out a Mayday call during the incident, which happened on Wednesday night, on the XL Airways flight  XLA 237 from Kos to Manchester. 

It left the island at 2.45pm local time and landed in Frankfurt Main, Germany's biggest airport, at 4.43 pm.

Runways were cleared and other planes forced to stack in the skies giving the brand new Boeing 737 -900 commissioned in May a clear landing run.

Heavily armed German police were waiting on the runway and boarded the aircraft and haul the two off to cheers from the other passengers.

One of the women, a 26-year-old, is expected to face charges of interference with air traffic and attempted assault.

Police have not yet said what the 27-year-old woman will be charged with. Both are likely to be faced with a bill for the operation and may face legal action from the airline.

The aircraft  was delayed for an hour at Frankfurt for refuelling then allowed to carry on to Manchester, arriving at 18.25 that evening.

Emergency landing: Police were waiting for the two women when the plane touched down at Frankfurt Airport (pictured)

A spokesman at Frankfurt Airport said: "This was a most serious situation. If that door had been opened at 30,000 feet probably everyone on board would have died."

A spokeswoman for XL Airways praised the Captain and his five cabin crew for their bravery and calmness in dealing with the potentially disastrous situation. 'The Captain and his crew responded exactly as we would have expected.

'They requested these two ladies behave themselves and when the situation looked like it could get out of hand the crew responded swiftly and bravely.

'Other passengers joined in to assist and we thank them for their support. People will not tolerate this behaviour. The safety of the aircraft and passengers is paramount.

'The women had been caught smoking in the toilet. Everyone knows this is totally against the rules.

'They then became abusive to the cabin crew and started to become abusive and unruly, disrupting the other passengers. It was noted they had been consuming their own alcohol on the aircraft. This is against the rules.

"The captain decided quickly to divert to Frankfurt and radioed the police for their assistance. Meanwhile, the crew and passengers restrained the women and they were put in plastic cuffs.

"There were no injuries and the aircraft continued its journey after an hour on the ground at Frankfurt for refuelling."

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The spokeswoman said that once the women were off the aircraft they were no longer the responsibility of the company. 'When the police had dealt with them they would have had to find their own way home. We do not know what charges were laid against them.'

XL Airways, based at Gatwick, was founded in 2001 and has become the third largest passenger carrier in the UK covering seat-only flights and bookings from major tour operators.

The spokeswoman added that she was unable to name the captain or his crew. 'We are considering taking legal action against these women,' she added.

Although 'immobilised' on board, the pilot decided to  radio ahead to Frankfurt and put the aircraft down for safety's sake.

Both women were breathalysed on the ground - one had 130 miligrams of  alcohol in 100 mililitres of blood, the other 180. The legal limit is 50.

It is understood both women have been remanded in custody.  According  to media reports they had been on a package holiday on the Greek island of  Kos.

Earlier this month a plane full of British tourists, including children, had to make an  unscheduled stop in Bermuda after a drunken passenger tried to open the door when the aircraft was 50,000ft over the Atlantic.

Police boarded the First Choice Boeing 767-300 at Bermuda airport and led the man away after he had been abusive to other passengers and cabin crew.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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