Passengers horrified as seatmate attempts to open airplane door at 30,000 feet

An EasyJet flight from Gatwick, England to Pisa in Italy turned into a real-life nightmare when a passenger attempted to open the aircraft's door 30,000 feet in the air.

The unnamed man was forced to the floor of the Airbus A319 by fellow passengers after pulling twice at the door handle on his way back from the bathroom.

"I saw this bloke walk up the aisle behind me and head towards the toilet," fellow seatmate Richard Conyard told The Sun. "He looked a little nervous and had a heavy coat on. He was in the toilet for about a minute.

"When he came out he went towards the emergency exit and grabbed the handle and tried to open the door."

It was at this point when cabin crew and passengers began screaming at him to stop, then eventually restrained him said Conyard.

EasyJet have since responded to the incident.

"The captain of Flight EZY8233 from London Gatwick to Pisa requested police to meet the aircraft due to the disruptive behaviour of a passenger onboard during the descent," said the airline in a statement.