A Tui flight erupted into chaos when a drunk passenger punched a cabin crew member and screamed that the plane was going to crash.

The shocking incident unfolded as the aircraft was landing at Birmingham Airport around 1am, with 220 passengers including young children witnessing the violent outburst.

Footage shows the man being restrained on board after allegedly striking an air hostess in the face during an hour-long fit of rage on the flight from Gran Canaria to Birmingham.

The passenger became erratic when the pilot applied the brakes during landing, shouting that the aircraft would crash before launching his attack on cabin crew members.

The Tui Flight was set to set to arrive in Birmingham (file pic)

A witness told The Sun: "It all kicked off just before 1am as we were landing in Birmingham from Las Palmas. When they slammed the brakes, he was shouting that the plane was going to crash."

The passenger repeatedly got up to go to the toilet compartment despite crew instructions to remain seated.

One witness described the escalating violence: "There was a lot of screaming and shouting between him and the crew, and then he punched an air hostess in the nose. One minute he was calm, then he was throwing blows. He was extremely erratic."

Flight attendants attempted to use a restraint kit to subdue the suspect but were unable to bring him under control.

Air hostesses were left crying and screaming for police assistance as terrified passengers, including children, watched the ordeal unfold.

West Midlands Police has confirmed a man has been charged

Several passengers intervened to help the cabin crew as the situation turned violent, with witnesses describing the scene as "a nightmare".

The witness continued: "Air hostesses were screaming for police in panic - they were shook up and crying. People had to tell them to stop screaming because it was scaring the kids."

West Midlands Police officers eventually boarded the aircraft to applause and cheering from relieved passengers.

A witness told The Sun: "The intoxicated guy put his hands up and said, 'Arrest me'. But then he resisted arrest."

Officers quickly surrounded and cuffed Paul Self after he resisted, ending the hour-long ordeal. He was led away in handcuffs and placed in a police van before passengers could disembark.

A spokesman for West Midlands Police confirmed that Self has been charged with three counts of common assault and will appear at Birmingham Magistrates Court on June 10.

They said: "We were called to an inbound flight at Birmingham Airport in the early hours of Tuesday (May 27) morning, following reports of a disruptive passenger.

"After landing, officers boarded the plane and arrested a 49-year-old man on suspicion of assault."