Nine US Teens Arrested at Heathrow for Drunken Disruption on Virgin Flight

Nine American teenagers, aged 17 and 18, were arrested at London's Heathrow Airport after causing a disruptive and drunken disturbance on a Virgin Atlantic flight from Los Angeles. The teens, reportedly from affluent families, used fake IDs to purchase alcohol before smuggling it onto the 10-hour flight, where they became unruly, screaming and running amok, which alarmed teachers and flight crew. Upon landing, Metropolitan Police took the teens into custody, took their mugshots and fingerprints, and warned them of potential jail time, although no charges were filed. Authorities revoked the teens' Electronic Travel Authorizations, barring them from entering the UK and attending planned summer camps across Europe. Virgin Atlantic initially refused to fly the group back but later arranged their return on separate flights to different US cities, instructing their parents to collect them. The airline apologized for the inconvenience caused and emphasized that the safety and welfare of passengers and staff remain their top priority.