A couple who were caught trying to join the mile high club before their flight even took off claimed they 'were praying'.
The holidaymakers, in their 50s, were caught by fellow passengers who spotted them getting amorous in their seats.
Horrified onlookers have told of seeing 'vigorous movement' in the man's jogging bottoms.
The pair claimed they were praying - as it was their first time on a plane.
The crew on the Jet2 flight considered whether to turn the flight around and return to East Midlands Airport.
The flight continued on to Gran Canaria but the couple were banned from the airline.
As an additional punishment, the couple were also kicked out of their Jet2 hotel and removed from their return flight home.
Darren Street, 51, and his wife Lisa, 47, accidentally caught the couple in the act as they filmed the plane while on the runway for take-off.
The crew on the flight considered whether to turn the flight around and return to East Midlands Airport
Join the discussion
What should airlines do when passengers behave inappropriately before a flight even leaves the ground?
Mr Street told The Sun: 'My wife and I were shocked and disgusted.'
The garage owner said the couple's pleas of innocence were rubbished by surrounding passengers.
'They must have thought it was the stewardess's first day on earth, we all knew what they were doing,' he added.
Mr Street said they had informed staff out of their concern as children were present on the flight.
But they admitted it made the flight 'really awkward' as the couple 'would not stop staring' at Mr and Mrs Street for the remainder of the four-and-a-half-hour flight.
In a statement, Jet2 confirmed: 'These customers have been banned for life.
'As a family-friendly airline and holiday company, we take a zero-tolerance approach to appalling behaviour such as this.'