A former footballer who played for CSKA, Rostov, and Krasnodar, Pavel Mamaev, found himself at the center of a controversial scene on a Fly Dubai flight from Moscow to Dubai. The incident, as discussed in conversations with representatives from kp.ru, was described by his lawyer Evgenia Vekina as a routine, everyday issue rather than a confrontation. The key point she raised was that the situation involved the handling of a baby stroller rather than any hostile act by Mamaev itself.
Rules governing passenger transport treat a baby stroller as hand luggage, a detail that, according to those speaking on Mamaev’s behalf, should have allowed the stroller to be brought on board without delay. The narrative shared to explain the sequence of events emphasizes that during the flight there was an unexpected emergency stop, which required passengers to deplane and then reboard later to facilitate the journey. In this context, the strategy reportedly involved stepping away from the aircraft to manage the stroller issue at the airport, a move that contributed to the overall delay. The lawyer stressed that there was no quarrel, only a string of ordinary administrative hurdles and apologies after the stroller was eventually provided, underscoring the absence of any physical altercation.
On January 10, Mash’s Telegram channel reported that Mamaev had allegedly caused a disturbance on the Moscow to Dubai leg of the Fly Dubai flight. The report cited an unnamed source claiming that the former athlete was unhappy with the flight attendants for not delivering the stroller promptly. The flight was scheduled to depart from Vnukovo early that morning, but after landing there was a statement from the captain about a technical issue, prompting a postponement until about 23:30. The incident, as described by the source, unfolded as passengers were disembarking and Mamaev allegedly insisted that he would not leave the cabin until the stroller was provided. The account claimed that he used coarse language during the dispute, though Mamaev has publicly denied these allegations.
Earlier reports noted the possibility of legal consequences for Mamaev if the incident escalated or involved further public disorder. Observers and commentators highlighted that tensions aboard flights involving public figures tend to attract scrutiny and speculation, especially when young families and childcare matters are implicated. Throughout the discourse, the core theme remained a disagreement over stroller access and the resulting delays, rather than a violent confrontation. The emphasis from Mamaev’s camp has been to frame the event as a sequence of miscommunications and procedural delays that were resolved without incident, rather than a heated clash or a criminal episode. The broader takeaway highlighted by supporters is that routine travel hiccups can become highly amplified when a well-known athlete is involved, but the actual events did not culminate in a fight or a confrontation that would define the incident in the public memory.