Overview

• TUI Airways flight BY49 from Cancún diverted to Bangor International on July 8 after two passengers were found smoking in the plane’s toilets.
• Disruptive passengers were removed on landing; the original crew could not continue due to legal duty-hour limits.
• Travelers remained confined in a military-section lounge for more than 17 hours, sleeping on airbeds and unable to exit under U.S. immigration laws.
• A relief crew dispatched from the UK arrived on July 9, leading to a Bangor departure at 3 p.m. local time that delivered all passengers to Gatwick later that day.
• TUI has confirmed the diversion was a safety measure triggered by disruptive behavior; the airline cited crew-hour regulations for the delay, awaiting inquiries from UK authorities.