"You’re messing with the Kinahans here!", screamed an angry woman to terrified passengers on a plane, which then had to be diverted because of her and her male companion’s actions.

The woman’s partner was physically removed from the plane and had to receive medical attention after appearing to go into apoplectic shock on the tarmac.

Eyewitness claimed the couple, who had Dublin accents, 'lost it' on the plane after downing a bottle of vodka.

"The man got really abusive, started banging the overhead compartment and flailing things around," a passenger on a British Airways plane from Marrakech to London Gatwick, said.

The man said he was "too terrified" to give his name in case there was any truth to the woman’s claims she’s connected to the criminal gang the Kinahans.

"The woman started panicking when the man got out of control," he recalls.

"An off-duty English policeman was on the plane and he helped staff to try and control the situation.

"But it got so dangerous the pilot decided to divert the plane to Porto in Portugal. Police arrived on to the plane and it took several of them to physically thrown the guy off the plane. The woman was escorted off as well, but she was very angry.

"When the man got on to the tarmac he was put face down and was handcuffed. He then had to be stretchered off into an ambulance."

The eyewitness explain she is a seasoned traveller, but has never seen anything like the behaviour of the pair.

"There were a lot of young children on the plane and a lot of people were scared senseless as this guy was near the emergency exit and we were terrified he might try and open it," he recalls.

"Everyone was so relieved when they were thrown off and we were stuck in Porto before we could take off again."

The incident happened on Wednesday,March 15, but officials have only recently commented after video footage emerged.

A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson told us. "We have not been contacted about this case but stand ready to provide consular assistance if required.

British Airways issued the following statement: "Our pilots took the decision to divert the aircraft and it was met by the police. We are sorry for the inconvenience to our customers."

Online Editors