An Italian couple broke through security and ran out onto the tarmac at Malta's international airport to try and stop a Ryanair plane from taking off without them.
Matteo Clementi, 26, and Enrica Apollonio, 23, got stuck in traffic on their way to the Luqa airport on Wednesday.
By the time they arrived, the gate was closed and they were not allowed on board on their flight back to Italy.
They went to the next gate, forced open a security door, ran to the apron and began signalling to the pilots to let them on the plane. The engines were running and the stairs had been removed reported the Times of Malta.
The two were not allowed on board and were caught by security staff and handed over to the police.
Their defence counsel said that Wednesday was Apollonio's 23rd birthday. She had been looking forward to celebrating it with her family 'but instead spent it in a cell'.
The couple were fined €2,329 (£1,660).
A spokesperson for Malta International Airport said: 'MIA staff and partners responded to this situation immediately and effectively, ensuring that the passengers were apprehended and passed on to the police.
'MIA regrets that a holiday to Malta had to end in this way but reminds passengers that safety and security are of the utmost importance at any airport and such issues cannot be dealt with lightly.'
The couple's defence team had asked for the couple to be handed a suspended sentence as they would struggle to pay the fine, but this was rejected by magistrate Doreen Clarke.
She said that the fine imposed would show how serious airport trespass incidents are; she did however accept the couple's request to pay in installments.
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