Ed Sheeran poses for selfie with fan at Miami airport before ‘air rage drama’ on BA flight to London Heathrow where ‘drunk passenger hurled racist abuse at cabin crew’
Ed Sheeran posed for a selfie with a fan at Miami airport before boarding a British Airways flight to Heathrow, where a ‘drunk’ passenger allegedly hurled racial abuse at a cabin crew member.
The Metropolitan Police arrested a 46-year-old man as the plane landed London early Tuesday morning.
Witnesses claimed the man had been drinking heavily and making “monkey noises” at cabin crew when he was refused alcohol around two hours into the flight.
It has emerged that Sheeran had agreed to a selfie with fan Dan Haughian at the departure gate in Miami before the flight. The pop star is said to have been nowhere near the alleged incident.
Ed Sheeran posed for a selfie with Dan Haughian in Miami before the flight
Speaking about what happened later during the flight, said Dan, from Manchester: ‘Everything fell into chaos – the things this man said and did were simply obscene.
“When they refused to give him drinks, he started making monkey noises and gesticulating at the cabin crew.”
He told the Sun: ‘The language coming out of his mouth was worse than you would hear at a football match.’
Dan claimed children witnessed the incident and a few people shouted “good riddance” to him as he was led away.
The passenger reportedly had to be restrained on the flight by a former police officer and two others before being taken to a jump seat, usually reserved for cabin crew. He remained under supervision for the remainder of the flight and the journey to England continued as normal.
Sheeran, pictured in New York in September 2023
File image of an Airbus A319-100. The passenger was arrested following the alleged incident
One passenger claimed: ‘There was serious racial abuse towards a flight attendant, as well as threatening behaviour. Many people on board were scared and sad.’
A Met Police spokesperson previously said: ‘At 1.59am on Tuesday, October 24, officers at Heathrow Airport received a report that a passenger on a flight arriving from Miami had made racist comments towards other passengers and crew.
‘Officers met the aircraft on arrival and a 46-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence. He remains in custody.”
A Met Police spokesperson told MailOnline today: ‘At 1.59am on Tuesday, October 24, officers at Heathrow Airport received a report that a passenger on a flight arriving from Miami had made racist comments towards other passengers and crew.
‘Officers met the aircraft on arrival and a 46-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence.
‘He was taken to a police station in west London and later released under investigation pending further inquiries.’
A BA spokesperson told MailOnline: ‘Disruptive behavior will never be tolerated on board our aircraft and we will always take appropriate action.’
MailOnline has contacted Sheeran’s representatives for comment.