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03rd Feb 2019

Investigation underway after brawl breaks out in Belfast International Airport

Dave Hanratty

Belfast airport brawl February 2019

The altercation took place on Saturday evening.

An internal investigation is underway at Belfast International Airport following the outbreak of a brawl in the departures area on Saturday 2 February.

Police responded to the fight between two groups of passengers, while video of the incident later surfaced on social media.

Eyewitnesses described the altercation, in which a number of men were seen to be brandishing poles and throwing items at one another, as “absolute mayhem”.

Initial reports indicated that the brawl lasted for as long as 20 minutes, though this has been officially denied by Belfast International Airport staff.

“The incident involving two groups of passengers on Saturday evening was unsettling for both passengers and staff alike,” said an airport spokesperson.

“The incident, in its entirety, lasted seven minutes with police arriving on scene within three minutes. The rapid intervention of police was not captured in the videos posted on social media.

“Airport police, PSNI and staff are to be commended for their professionalism in dealing with this incident in such a swift manner.”

As of Sunday afternoon, an internal investigation is being carried out.

A statement issued by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to JOE on Sunday reads:

“PSNI provided assistance to Airport police following a report of an incident at Belfast International Airport yesterday evening (Saturday 2nd February).

“The matter is being dealt with by airport police.”

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