Assault arrest as Fuerteventura flight returns to Manchester
A man has been arrested on suspicion of sexual assault after an incident on a flight to the Canary Islands caused the pilot to return to Manchester Airport.
The incident happened about 50 minutes into the four-hour Thomas Cook flight TCX 2014 for Fuerteventura on Saturday.
On landing in Manchester, a man, aged 50 from Liverpool, was held on suspicion of a public order offence and sexual assault.
The man was later released on bail until February.
The flight departed Manchester at 18:10 GMT after a delay of nearly four hours.
Police believe the man became violent on the aircraft and had to be restrained by a number of passengers and crew.
The aircraft circled Manchester Airport for about 40 minutes to burn off excess fuel, and touched down 90 minutes after it had turned back.
A spokesman from Thomas Cook Airlines said: "We have a zero tolerance policy towards disruptive and aggressive behaviour.
"We'd like to thank the other passengers onboard for their patience and understanding, and are pleased that their flight was able to depart with minimal delay."