Two men have been charged over a disturbance at Manchester airport involving police officers in July, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.
Mohammed Fahir Amaaz, 20, from Rochdale, has been charged with two counts of causing actual bodily harm, one charge of assaulting an emergency worker, and one charge of common assault, Greater Manchester police said.
Muhammad Amaad, 25, of Rochdale, has been charged with one count of causing actual bodily harm.
They are due to appear at Liverpool magistrates court on Thursday 16 January 2025.
No police officers have been charged in relation to the incident. The CPS said there was “no realistic prospect of conviction” of any police officers.
The altercation took place in terminal 2 at the airport on 23 July, with footage later posted online. It allegedly arose after an earlier confrontation between passengers on a Qatar Airways flight.
“This was a high-profile incident that attracted significant public interest and media coverage at the time, and we have worked closely from the outset with investigators from the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and Greater Manchester police,” Frank Ferguson, head of the special crime and counter-terrorism division at the CPS, said.
Ferguson said that the IOPC had “reviewed all the available evidence”, including witness statements, video footage, expert reports and other material related to police use of force.
“Based on a careful consideration of this evidence, we have concluded that two men should be charged with offences including assaults on police officers,” he said. “We have concluded no charges should be brought against any officers.”
He said that prosecutors had looked into potential offences of actual bodily harm, and common assault, “and reviewed expert evidence in the form of an independent report from an expert in the use of police force”.
GMP’s chief constable, Stephen Watson, said: “I welcome today’s decisions from the Crown Prosecution Service to charge two men with assaults on our officers and a member of the public at Manchester airport earlier this year.
“I also welcome their decision to take no further criminal action against serving officers. I appreciate that a full and thorough independent investigation has led to this outcome.”
Watson said the suspension of an officer involved in the incident had been lifted, adding that “the IOPC’s misconduct investigation continues and we will continue to cooperate fully in this regard”.
“I know that these matters have understandably generated a great deal of debate, scrutiny and speculation,” he said. “We now have specific charging decisions and the court proceedings must be allowed to progress without the prejudice or taint that can emerge as a result of misplaced commentary, speculation or the sharing of digital content.”
A spokesperson for the IOPC said its investigation into the use of force by police on six people during the incident was nearing completion.
“We are aware of the CPS’s decision to take no further action against police officers involved in a series of arrests at Manchester airport on July 23,” he said. “We will now work to conclude the few remaining lines of inquiry as quickly as possible.”
It was important for events at the airport to be carefully investigated, the spokesperson added.
“The IOPC and GMP investigations are separate, and with different remits, but between them ensure there is an appropriate level of scrutiny of these matters.”
