A disruptive plane passenger who abused staff during a flight was detained at Bermuda's airport and sent home to the US.

The man is said to have grown increasingly belligerent after being told not to use his cell phone on JetBlue's Saturday evening flight to the Island from JFK airport in New York.

Another passenger also received a verbal attack, apparently for no reason other than he was in the vicinity of the troublemaker.

Police were called to greet the abusive man at L.F. Wade International Airport, and he was put on another airline and repatriated without officially arriving in Bermuda.

He was not arrested and JetBlue would not comment on local broadcast reports that he threatened to blow up the plane.

Herbie Siggins, JetBlue's general manager in Bermuda, told The Royal Gazette: "He got progressively abusive towards the crew members and another passenger.

"We can't account for why this can happen — it's just a person who didn't like to be told what to do.

"He failed to abide by the instructions. Sadly there are people who sometimes behave in this manner."

Regarding the other passenger who was abused, Mr. Siggins said: "The gentleman was sharing his belligerence around. This person happened to be around."

He would not reveal specifically what the man did or said, or how long his antics continued for, but said: "The behaviour was such that he was met at the airport by Bermuda Police Service."

There were about 80 people on the plane, but Mr. Siggins said he was not aware of anyone reporting being upset by the incident.

It comes two weeks after a First Choice Airways jet had to be diverted to Bermuda when passenger Dean Lyons allegedly drunkenly lashed out at holidaymakers and staff and lunged for the door. Alcohol is said to have played no part in Saturday's episode.

Mr. Siggins said it was the first incident of its kind out of more than 1,000 flights since JetBlue began flying to Bermuda more than two years ago.

"The travelling public can rest assured we have the appropriate safety measures in place both on the ground and in the air," he said.

"Sometimes incidents like this happen but it's most unusual."