A Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Toronto diverted to Manchester earlier today due to an unruly business class passenger.
LH470 left Frankfurt six minutes ahead of schedule this morning. Shortly after takeoff, however, the 747-400 bound for Toronto circled and then diverted to Manchester.
A couple tweets blamed the diversion on an “unruly first class passenger”. The Manchester Evening News reports that the passenger was drunk and the captain felt he had no choice but to divert.
The plane was only on the ground for a tad over two hours before taking off again for Toronto Pearson. Both the captain and members of the crew were interviewed by police while the belligerent man’s bags were unloaded. 360 passengers were onboard.
https://twitter.com/PaulW_1/status/850023148921729024
The flight ultimately arrived in Toronto about three hours late.
We have no further details from Lufthansa or other news outlets about how the passenger manifested his belligerence. But allow me to speculate…
Let’s say the man arrived in the First Class Terminal early in the morning and had several hours there. It is no surprise he got liquored if he was so inclined. The selection of alcohol in the lounge is outstanding and telling a first class passenger no is not an easy thing. Imagine a Bloody Mary with breakfast followed by a few Mimosas. Follow that with some wine with an early lunch followed by cigars and brandy.
Yeah, it is no surprise to me that he got drunk.
> Read More: The Lufthansa First Class Terminal Experience
> Read More: Lufthansa’s Fiercely Protected First Class Terminal
However, Lufthansa has no First Class on its 747-400s
So that theory is out. Senator and Business Lounges do have a wide variety of alcohol as well…
There is no First Class on the LH B747-400.. so I guess it was a C class pax?
LH 747-400 doesn’t have a first class cabin anymore nor is the cabin available for purchase on this route.
Haha, yeah I was just thinking the same thing! I was about to go book a flight to Toronto to get my separate bed again!
Feeling a touch judgemental with the speculation, eh?
The aircraft (D-ABVU) doesn’t have a First Class section. So the only way the unruly pax (if there was one) got inebriated in the First Class Terminal, as you speculate, could have been if he was a HON.
But I’m sure there are also folks who manage to drink too much in another lounge – FRA has plenty of options.