79-Year-Old Woman Met by Armed Police Following Jet2 Tuna Roll Dispute

An elderly woman, aged 79, was met by armed police in Turkey and removed from an aircraft after declining to pay for a “frozen tuna roll”. She has since refuted the airline’s assertion that her conduct was “disruptive”. Lily, a resident of Hertfordshire, traveled on a Jet2 flight from Stansted Airport in Essex to Bodrum on 3 November. During the flight, she ordered a £9 tuna bap, which she stated was frozen internally. She declined to pay for it, but alleged that the airline insisted on payment because she had opened the packaging. Upon arrival, law enforcement officials met her, but she was subsequently released. Jet2 stated that Lily “displayed a catalogue of disruptive behaviour on board… including the unauthorised consumption of her own alcohol that she had brought on board.” Speaking on The JVS Show on Three Counties Radio, Lily recounted that upon the flight’s touchdown, all other passengers were instructed to remain seated, while she and her daughter were directed to the exit. She recounted, “They called the police. Not one… but four police at the end, at the door.” She further expressed her surprise, stating, “I was in shock, I was saying to people, ‘I think I’ve been arrested over a sandwich’.” She also noted, “The policemen were there with their guns.” After she and her daughter presented their passports as requested by the officers, they were instructed to “just go.” Lily, who preferred not to disclose her full name, mentioned that she had slept for the majority of the journey but found it “so stressful” as cabin crew repeatedly woke her to inquire about payment for the sandwich. She concluded, “And then the end [with the police] was just awful.” Subsequently, Lily’s daughter dispatched an email to Jet2, “saying how upsetting it had been.” A Jet2 spokesperson stated: “We can confirm that [she] displayed a catalogue of disruptive behaviour on board flight LS1609 from London Stansted to Bodrum including the unauthorised consumption of her own alcohol that she had brought on board. As a result, police met the aircraft on arrival at Bodrum to escort [her] and her daughter off the aircraft. As a family-friendly airline, we take a zero-tolerance approach to such behaviour, and we make it very clear that customers cannot consume their own alcohol on flights.” The airline further commented: “We will always support our crew in instances when they are subjected to rude or unpleasant behaviour while prioritising the safety and comfort of all passengers and crew.” Lily characterized Jet2’s remarks as “disgusting.” When questioned about bringing her own alcohol onto the flight, she responded “no” but verified that she had purchased “two wines each.” She remarked, “I don’t know what they’re talking about.” She continued, “I think they’re so embarrassed over this sandwich and the police and the way we were treated.” She concluded, “They are the ones that behaved disgustingly and disturbed me all the way through the flight.”