I used to be a frequent flyer, and I'm not just talking North America, but Europe, Asia and even the Dark Continent. Saw a lot of weird stuff, but never (thanks be to God) anything like this.
According to Aerotime News, this happened yesterday afternoon aboard a Boeing 737-800 operated by Transavia (the discount airline of Air France-KLM) as flight TO4118 from Paris Orly to Tunis Carthage International Airport.
Somewhere over Sardinia, the big guy with the beard, a Tunisian and a devout follower of the Prophet Mohammed, decided he wanted to go into the aisle of the aircraft to say his prayers. The cabin crew took a dim view of this -- perhaps luncheon was being served -- and wrestled the man, heard shouting "Allahu akbar!" to the deck.
You can also hear passengers shouoting, perhaps responding to the man's cries that he was Muslim like them and that they should help him! Aerotime News quotes local news outlet France Bleu as saying the cabin crew thought the man was heading for the cockpit and they'd better do something before there was an MH370-type incident.
After the man was subdued, the plane was diverted to the Nice-Côte d’Azur airport, where it landed safely. Although he fought furiously, again shouting "Allahu akbar", the passenger was arrested by the gendarmes and transported (at no extra charge) to the local hoosegow. However, "after medical examination, his health condition led to lifting custody in the prospect of forced hospitalization in a psychiatric facility," according to the city prosecutor.
The rest of the passengers spent the night in Nice before continuing their trip this morning. [Nice! Ed.]
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