Passenger ‘insists on smoking cannabis’ on flight delayed for five hours in Tel Aviv

The incident ‘almost devolved into physical violence,’ according to a witness

Smoking has been banned on flights for more than 30 years (Kashif Mardani/Creative Commons)

A plane passenger reportedly insisted on smoking cannabis while he was stuck on a Wizz Air flight that was delayed for about five hours in total.

The flight had been scheduled to depart Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv, Israel, for Henri Coandă International Airport in Bucharest, Romania, on Tuesday (13 September).

The 250 passengers on board were told before take-off that their luggage would not be going with them.

The situation escalated further when a number of passengers refused to sit in their seats in protest over the shambolic luggage handling.

After a delay of around four hours, one man declared that he wanted to smoke.

He stood up and said he wanted a cigarette and, according to the Times of Israel, marijuana that he had a medical permit for.

The online news outlet reported that he said: “I want to smoke a cigarette... I’ve been here for four hours, I’m going to smoke a cigarette! I smoke weed! I’m sick, I’m allowed to smoke weed, I have a permit.”

Other passengers stood up and argued in the man’s defence after the flight attendants informed the pilot who then called the police.

“Bring Yasam,” the passenger reportedly added, referring to the riot unit of the Israeli police, “bring everyone.”

The incident broke out after luggage was not loaded on the plane bound for Romania (Getty Images)

“The flight attendants were helpless and the pilot did not want to take off for safety reasons,” an unnamed eyewitness said as quoted by Israel’s Channel 12 (Keshet 12) News.

“Arguments broke out between the passengers and it almost devolved into physical violence.”

A number of men are standing and arguing with each other while police are on board the plane, footage published by Channel 12 shows.

A report by the channel does not mention the passenger’s intention to smoke cannabis, only a cigarette – as seen in a translation of the article from Hebrew to English.

It also said: “The arrival of the police only caused more commotion, as some of the passengers stood by that passenger and tried to prevent the police from removing him from the flight.”

“If everyone gets up, they won’t do anything to him. They took the luggage anyway. There’s nothing to lose here,” one of the passengers is heard saying in the video.

“Don’t get up, what did he do? Tell this pilot to go f*** himself. Who is he anyway? Don’t go, we’re here with you brother until the end.”

The passenger who wanted to smoke reportedly said: “I want to smoke a cigarette, what am I not allowed to say? I’ve been here for four hours, I’m allowed to say.”

The police did not detain any passengers but told them to behave in accordance with the pilot’s rules.

The anonymous witness also said: “The police asked the passengers about the commotion on the plane, calmed them down, tried to understand what happened.

“After finding nothing, they left the place and the flight took off after the pilot came to the conclusion that it was safe to fly.”

The Independent has contacted Wizz Air for comment.