A plane passenger sparked panic after he released the emergency slide while the jet sat idle on the runway in stifling heat.
The man reacted angrily to being told that the aircraft would have to sit on the runway for half an hour before being cleared to take-off.
The situation became more uncomfortable when the crew turned off the engines to refuel, leaving passengers without air conditioning and significantly increasing the temperature in the cabin.
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Bound for the Spanish capital Madrid, Iberia Express flight IB1696 was scheduled to take off from Ibiza Airport at 1.30pm on Wednesday (11 Dec).
The man then apparently showed signs of extreme nervousness inside the hot cabin.
One eyewitness, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “People started to get very nervous in general.”
When the pilot was preparing to take-off after the delay, the passenger reportedly jumped to his feet and shouted that he “couldn’t stand it” any longer and wanted to “disembark.”
The cabin crew refused and he allegedly accused them of carrying out a “full-fledged kidnapping.”
Faced with growing tensions in the cabin, flight attendants decided to call the cops.
When Civil Guard officers came to arrest the man, he reportedly activated the evacuation slide.
His actions not only increased the panic inside the cabin, but also resulted in the plane being evacuated.
The eyewitness, who was making a stopover in Madrid before flying on to Alicante, said: “Then the pilot told us that the plane was stuck and we couldn’t leave.
“At the moment, it has been very difficult for all of us, there are people here who missed their connection to other flights.
“For example, there is one passenger travelling to Colombia and another going to South Africa.
“In their case, they will have to sleep in a hotel in Madrid tonight and they still don’t know if it will be paid for by the airline or out of their own pocket.
“The airline, however, has been very good.
“They have given us vouchers to eat at the airport and an information sheet explaining our rights and how to make a claim.”
After the incident, the passengers had to leave the aircraft and go to the Iberia Express counter to be booked on another flight, as reported by Need To Know.
The suspect was placed under arrest and faces charges of disturbing the peace and damaging the aircraft.
He is expected to receive a hefty fine for his alleged conduct.
Iberia Express has been approached for comment.
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