TWO Rangers fans were arrested by French police for "behaving disruptively" on a flight from Belfast to Lyon on Wednesday.
The men were on the way to watch group A runners-up Rangers play group winners Olympique Lyonnais in a Europa League tie tonight.
The 10.30am Easyjet flight from Belfast International Airport to Lyon–Saint Exupéry Airport was met by the Gendarmes.
A passenger reported that airline staff were forced to reprimand Gers fans for drinking alcohol they had brought on board, warning them that their behaviour was "illegal".
The Rangers fans' boisterous singing, shouting and drinking were cut short on arrival in Lyon when passengers were asked to remain in their seats and await Gendarmes boarding.
A video shows one man, who is wearing a Rangers top, asking other passengers to stop filming the incident. When challenged and asked if he is "the police", the Rangers man replies, "Yes."
A Rangers fan who tried to stop a passenger from filming the incident stood in the middle of the aisle to block his view
A second Rangers fan who attempted to stop the arrests being filmed stood up and blocked the aisle to prevent the passenger from recording the incident.
An Easyjet spokesperson said: "We can confirm that police met flight EZY6735 from Belfast to Lyon today on arrival and arrested two passengers who were behaving disruptively onboard.
“Our cabin and ground crew are trained to assess all situations and to act quickly and appropriately to ensure that the safety of the flight and other passengers is not compromised at any time.
“Whilst such incidents are rare, we take them very seriously and do not tolerate abusive or threatening behaviour towards our staff.
“The safety and wellbeing of passengers and crew is always our highest priority.”
The French government had previously advised Rangers FC that none of its fans were to enter the city of Lyon ahead of tonight's match, with the club having its ticket allocation stripped on Monday.
On Tuesday, the French government performed a U-turn, allowing away fans to travel ahead of the fixture.
