As if the long delay caused by the inclement weather in the UK was not enough, an Air Malta plane leaving London Heathrow yesterday afternoon had to abort take off after a passenger insisted he wanted to pray in the aisle.

The flight left Malta more than three hours behind schedule in the morning due to the air traffic disruptions in London because of the cold spell and the snow. The passengers on the return flight were relieved when the doors were closed and the plane started taxiing to the runway for take-off, Malta-bound.

But, all of a sudden, a passenger left his seat, knelt down in the aisle and started praying, an Air Malta spokesman said. The purser asked him to return to his seat but the man refused and the senior cabin crew member informed the captain who decided to abort take off and return to the terminal.

The man was taken away by the police, all passengers disembarked and a safety check was carried out, which is standard procedure in such cases. The aircraft was then cleared for take-off. At no time were the passengers, crew and/or the aircraft in any danger, the spokesman said.