A 24-year-old Moroccan man caused a serious security incident at Valencia Airport on Saturday afternoon after scaling a passenger plane.
The young man sparked panic after gaining unauthorised access to the runway and climbing onto the roof of a Vueling Airbus A320 preparing to fly to Amsterdam.
The incident unfolded shortly before 6pm and led to a two-and-a-half-hour delay for passengers on the Amsterdam-bound flight.
According to sources close to the operation, the man spent around 10 minutes sitting and moving across the upper fuselage of the aircraft, carrying a backpack, before being safely persuaded to come down by officers from the Guardia Civil.
There were fears that he could have been armed or intending to cause harm to passengers.
During the incident, he was seen running across the roof of the aircraft, putting himself at serious risk of falling.
However, after being brought down, officers identified the man and confirmed that no weapons were found inside his backpack.
Police then requested medical assistance, as the individual appeared to be mentally distressed and was reportedly making incoherent statements referring to Muslims, Jews and Roma people, prompting concerns about a possible mental health crisis.
Several members of the flight crew recorded the incident on their mobile phones as officers worked to gain the man’s trust and bring the situation under control.
Medical sources later confirmed that, after receiving initial treatment at the airport, the man was transferred by basic life support ambulance to the psychiatric unit of Valencia’s General Hospital, where he was admitted.
He is known to have a history of mental health treatment and has previously suffered crisis episodes linked to difficulties travelling to Morocco.
Despite the dramatic scenes, airport operator Aena confirmed that the incident posed no risk to passenger safety and did not disrupt air traffic operations beyond the delayed departure.
Investigators believe the man had sneaked into restricted airport areas, climbed the boarding stairs and accessed one of the aircraft doors to reach the top of the plane.
He had reportedly been seen inside the terminal the previous day, asking airline staff about flights to Morocco.
The Civil Guard has opened an investigation into a potential breach of Spain’s Air Navigation Criminal and Procedural Law.
Passengers on the affected flight eventually departed at 9pm on a replacement aircraft, landing at Amsterdam Airport at 11.15pm.
Before departure, a Vueling maintenance team carried out a full inspection of the Airbus A320’s upper fuselage to ensure that no damage had been caused.
The investigation remains ongoing.
