A Russian tourist returning to Moscow from Cuba attempted to open one of the emergency doors of the aircraft mid-flight, for unknown reasons.
According to testimonies from passengers -quoted by a local Telegram channel- the individual suddenly began to shout loudly and curse.
Although the crew tried to calm the individual - identified as "Alexey" - it was futile, and at one point the man suddenly jumped from his seat and tried to open the emergency door.
The crew was then forced to tie him up with belts and disposable plastic handcuffs during the journey, which lasted 12 hours.
The source reports that even after being tied up, the passenger spent several hours screaming, cursing, and demanding to be untied. In a moment of desperation, he even hit his head against the wall.
When the plane landed at Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, the individual was handed over to the police.
Until the publication of this note, no other details about the incident have been revealed, and the airline in which it occurred is unknown, although Rossiya Airlines is one of the airlines that flies to the island the most.
This is not the first case of a troublesome tourist on a flight between Russia and Cuba.
A few days ago, it was reported that officials from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) denied entry to Cuba for a Russian traveler who exhibited "aggressive and destructive" behavior during a flight from Moscow to Varadero with Rossiya Airlines.
The incident was made public in August, but the event dates back to November 2023, when the MININT ordered the deportation of the traveler, who left the country on the flight back to Moscow on the same aircraft in which he had entered the island.
It was detailed that the troublesome passenger "refused to sit in his seat, tried to smoke in the cabin, and expressed threats. The crew managed to stabilize the situation, but the incident resulted in the troublemaker being denied entry to the country upon arrival at Varadero airport."
Rossiya filed a lawsuit against the passenger, who was forced to reimburse the airline for an amount of 50,000 rubles (about 543 dollars).
In 2023 alone, Rossiya recorded 678 cases of disruptive behavior on its flights. More than half of them were related to passengers' alcohol intoxication.
Russian tourism to Cuba has experienced significant growth in recent years, especially in 2024, where it has increased by 141% compared to the previous year.
This increase is partly due to the efforts of the Cuban government to attract more visitors from Russia by negotiating a greater number of direct flights and promoting Russian investments in the island's hotel sector.
Despite the challenges faced by tourism in Cuba, such as the deterioration of infrastructure and the rise in crime, Russian tourists have become a crucial market to support the faltering tourism industry on the island.
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