Briton arrested after trying to kiss air steward on flight to Mallorca

A British holidaymaker has been arrested after allegedly trying to kiss an air steward on the neck during a flight to Spain.

Police boarded his Ryanair flight from London Stansted after it touched down in Mallorca and held him when the cabin attendant confirmed he wanted to press charges.

The 30-year-old is said to have been heavily intoxicated when he allegedly started causing problems and flirting with the crew member.

The pilot radioed air traffic controllers at Palma Airport shortly before arriving and asked them to contact cops after the alleged sexual assault.

After declining at first to make a formal complaint, the air steward changed his mind and agreed to make a statement to police.

By then the tourist, who had been identified but escaped arrest because the cabin attendant had initially indicated he didn’t want to press charges, had already left the plane and passed passport control.

He was held yesterday after attempting to board his return flight and hauled to court.

He was released on bail pending an ongoing investigation into the 29 June incident after appearing before a judge.

The Brit, pictured being led into court in shorts and handcuffs escorted by two Guardia Civil officers, has not been named.

It was not immediately clear on Wednesday morning if he is still in Mallorca or has been allowed to leave the island and has managed to secure another flight home.

In July 2024 a British man was handed a one-year suspended prison sentence for sexually assaulting an air steward on a flight from Newcastle to Palma.

Holidaymaker Mark Turnbull, 43, was held on suspicion of touching the flight attendant’s bottom and nipples “in a lewd way”.

He is said to have got up from his seat and approached the flight attendant before touching him up.

Other passengers helped restrain him until the plane landed in Majorca.

Police were waiting for the man and took him away in handcuffs after radioing for reinforcements when he allegedly became aggressive towards the first officers to arrive, although he was not subsequently charged with resisting arrest.

On 15 July last year a court in Palma which launched an investigation following the incident handed him a one-year prison term after formally convicting him of sexual assault.

The sentence was automatically suspended as part of a plea bargain deal Mr Turnbull’s lawyer agreed with public prosecutors.

He admitted to wrongdoing via videoconference after being given permission to testify from the UK.

Public prosecutors had called for the British holidaymaker to be jailed for a year and seven months in a pre-trial indictment before the trial took place as a formality following the sealing of the plea bargain agreement.

The indictment stated the tourist approached the air steward on board the Ryanair flight as he tried to sort out a problem with his credit card “with the intention of undermining his sexual integrity and satisfying his sexual desires.”

It said that “after touching his victim in the chest area” on the 29 September 2023 flight, he “pinched his right nipple and moments later, taking advantage of the fact the airline worker had his back to him and was with the snacks and beverage trolley, forcefully grabbed his bottom cheeks with both hands.”

As well as the suspended prison sentence Mr Turnbull was given a one-year probation order during which he was ordered to undergo sexual education training and handed a 100-metre restraining order preventing him from going near the airline worker he sexually assaulted for two years.

In August 2023 a British holidaymaker was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting an air stewardess before spitting on her boss on a Jet2 flight from Manchester to Ibiza.

The 42-year-old was held by police after reaching the island.

Jet2 confirmed after the arrest it had banned him from flying with them.