Easyjet passenger punches air stewardess after 'waiting too long for sandwich'

A passenger on an Easyjet flight reportedly punched an air stewardess to the floor after being 'left to wait too long for a sandwich'.

The flight from Geneva to Pristina in Kosovo made an emergency landing in Rome for security reasons after the incident occurred.

According to the Mirror, the male traveller was heard shouting: "I've been waiting hours, I'm hungry!", before assaulting the air hostess.

The Metro reports that a witness said: "He shouted at the stewardess, then he stood up and punched her and when she fell to the floor, he carried on hitting her."

Fellow passengers then stepped into restrain him before the plane was diverted to Fumincino airport.

The victim told Swiss newspaper 20 Minutes that she was "totally shocked" and couldn't understand how "anyone could react so violently over a sandwich".

According to the Evening Standard, a spokeswoman for Easyjet said: "EasyJet can confirm that flight EZS1483 from Geneva to Pristina on 31 March diverted to Rome as a result of a passenger onboard behaving in a disruptive manner.

"The aircraft was met by the police on arrival in Rome and the passenger was arrested.

"The safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew is always EasyJet's priority.

"Whilst such incidents are rare we take them very seriously, do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour onboard and always push for prosecution."

The 180 passengers were taken onto Pristina on a separate flight later in the afternoon.