Passenger 'scared for his life' removed from Emirates plane

DUBAI // A flight from London to Dubai was delayed after an "agitated" man told fellow passengers he feared he would be killed and was escorted from the plane by police.

Emirates flight EK004 had been due to depart Heathrow at 8.40pm on Sunday but was held back for more than an hour and a half as police searched hand luggage.

A passenger said she boarded the flight at 8pm and fell asleep before an "animated conversation" in the seats behind her awakened her.

She said she could hear a man asking a fellow passenger if he needed a visa to get into Dubai.

"The other passenger asked him where he was from and he said Iran," the 36-year-old British expatriate said. "She told him she didn't think he would need one. He then told her that he thought he would get killed on-board the flight."

A woman sitting in a seat behind the witness said the man became agitated and would not let go of the bag he was holding. The man moved to a different seat and then asked to be moved again.

Another person sitting next to the witness told her that before boarding, the man had been seen clutching his bag in a worried state.

"The plane was full and I think he was trying to ask to be taken off the plane," the witness said. The crew and police escorted him off the plane, she said.

"The police then came through the plane and checked the hand luggage. They were asking people if the luggage in the lockers belonged to them and searching through.

"We then heard an announcement from the captain apologising for the delay but saying that police and security had made their checks and we were ready to depart."

The plane made up most of the time in the air and arrived at Dubai International Airport about 7.30am on Monday close to the scheduled time, the witness said.

A statement from Emirates said: "Emirates can confirm that a passenger asked to be removed from EK004 from London to Dubai on October 16. Passenger safety is the utmost concern and Emirates tries to accommodate all passengers who feel they are unfit to fly."

The Metropolitan Police said: "Police at Heathrow Airport were called by airline staff to an Emirates flight at approximately 22.50pm on Sunday October 16. The officers carried out a standard security check on a man who was being offloaded from the flight. No crime disclosed, no arrests."

nhanif@thenational.ae