British tourist, 42, is arrested for ‘groping air stewardess and spitting at her boss’ on

A British holidaymaker has been banned by an airline after he was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting an air stewardess and spitting on her boss during a flight to Ibiza.

The 42-year-old, who is thought to be from Oldham, was held by police yesterday morning after reaching the island on a Jet2 flight from Manchester.

The airline has since confirmed that it has banned the passenger, who they named as Rizwan Sabri Raja, from flying with them.

The Civil Guard also said it would be asking the airline operating the flight to refuse to accept the passenger on the return flight he had booked back to the UK.

Responding to the reports of the arrest this afternoon, a spokesman for the airline named and shamed the problem passenger and confirmed he had been banned from flying with Jet2 for life.

As well as prosecution, the unnamed Brit is also facing a heavy fine and problems trying to get back to the UK if he gets a Jet2 ban (file image)

It went on to describe his behaviour in a hard-hitting statement as ‘absolutely appalling’ and said it would be supporting the authorities ‘fully’.

The company said: ‘We can confirm that disruptive passenger, Rizwan Sabri Raja, was offloaded by police at Ibiza Airport on August 24 following a catalogue of absolutely appalling behaviour towards our crew.

‘We will not tolerate such behaviour and will support the authorities fully with their enquiries.

‘As a family-friendly airline, we take a zero-tolerance approach to disruptive passenger behaviour, and we can confirm Mr Raja has been banned from flying with us for life as a result of his deplorable actions.’

Confirming the arrest today, a spokesman for the Civil Guard said: ‘Officers have arrested a British man as the suspected author of a crime of sexual assault on an air stewardess on a flight from Manchester to Ibiza.

‘Yesterday morning officers were asked to head to a plane which had just touched down.

‘The pilot informed the officers that a passenger had refused to obey the crew’s instructions during the flight, as well as groping the bottom of one of the air stewardesses and spitting at her boss.

‘He was immediately arrested.’

It was not immediately clear today if he has already appeared in court for a hearing where a judge would have to decide whether to remand him in custody or release him on bail pending an ongoing criminal probe.

As well as prosecution, the unnamed Brit is also facing a heavy fine.

The Civil Guard spokesman said: ‘He will also be reported to the Spanish Air Safety and Security Agency (AESA) for his alleged behaviour during the flight.

‘And the Civil Guard at Ibiza Airport will be asking the airline concerned to refuse to accept this passenger on the return flight he had booked back to Britain.’

AESA is the state body that in Spain ensures civil aviation standards are observed in all aeronautical activity in Spain.

It has powers to fine offenders for breaches of a Spanish air safety law, with fines for ranging from around £50 to nearly £40,000.

The 42-year-old was held by police yesterday morning after reaching the island on a Jet2 flight from Manchester (file image)

In September last year a British man was arrested after assaulting a female passenger in the seat next to him on a Ryanair flight from Liverpool to Majorca.

Air stewards radioed police from 35,000ft after the woman, also British, complained he had touched her breasts and asked her to have sex with him in the toilet.

He was held when the plane touched down at Palma Airport.

Reports at the time said the unnamed Brit had been fined £2,500 after being hauled to court for a speedy trial.

The woman at the centre of the extraordinary mid-air incident is said to have been sexually abused moments before the plane touched down after the male passenger had engaged in unwanted sexual innuendo with the young Brit.

Ryanair said in a statement at the time of the incident: ‘The crew of this flight from Liverpool to Palma requested police assistance after being made aware of an individual behaving inappropriately towards another passenger.

‘The crew moved the passenger away from this individual for the rest of the flight and police removed him from the aircraft upon landing. This is now a matter for local police.’