AN EASYJET pilot was forced to make a hasty landing after a "mass brawl" broke out on a flight from the UK to Tenerife.
The crew were forced to call police to help them deal with around a dozen "troublesome passengers" who had departed from Liverpool.
Authorities are said to have requested officers on arrival yesterday "to guarantee the safety of all passengers and crew".
The pilot also requested a priority landing as they neared the holiday hotspot to ensure the rowdy travellers were dealt with swiftly.
Unconfirmed local reports claimed several problematic passengers were involved in a clash in the cabin en route to Tenerife.
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Officers then boarded the plane before anyone disembarked to haul off the troublemakers on Saturday.
They were reportedly taken into custody to be quizzed by cops, ahead of their deportation back to the UK on the next available flight.
Police on the island could not be reached early this morning for comment.
Holidaymakers who are deemed to have breached air safety rules are normally identified by authorities so they can be sent fines.
Spanish Air Traffic controllers confirmed the incident on social media, saying as the plane prepared to touch down: "Flight from Liverpool arriving at Tenerife South with a dozen troublesome passengers on board.
"Priority and police presence being coordinated on arrival at the crew’s request.
"The landing approach will be shortened as much as possible.
"All our support to crews and officials in airports, who more often than is desirable, have to deal with these situations."
They said the landing procedure was cut back as much as possible to make sure the plane's arrival was not delayed.
"This was done to prevent further disturbances on board the aircraft and to ensure the safety of all passengers and crew," according to the island's press.
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"The speed in the response of the authorities and the teamwork allowed the plane to land without major complications and a more serious situation was avoided."
An easyJet spokesperson denied that a mass brawl took place on the flight but said what took place was instead a "disturbance".
"EasyJet can confirm that flight EZY3365 from Liverpool to Tenerife on 22 April was met by police due to a group of passengers behaving disruptively onboard.
"EasyJet’s cabin crew are trained to assess and evaluate all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time.
"Whilst such incidents are rare we take them very seriously and do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour onboard.
"The safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew is always easyJet's priority."
