The players were returning from their away defeat at Swansea, and two players were said to be heard screaming as they landed at the city airport.
Alan Pardew: “We’ve had some hairy journeys in the past, a couple of fly-bys, as you do in the modern game.
“All the clubs fly to most away games because you want to get the players back into their beds as soon as possible to get that rest, particularly when you’ve got a game on Saturday.
“It was a little bit hairy last night and there was a bit of applause at the back of the plane when we landed. But I didn’t hear any screaming from the players.
“John Carver had a little bit of a wobble, he wasn’t so brave and looked a bit white when we got off.
“I remember at West Ham, Paolo Di Canio wouldn’t fly, I don’t know how he got on last year as a manager but he wouldn’t fly when he was at West Ham at certain times and Yossi Benayoun didn’t like flights. But some people don’t.
“We can always lay on the bus. Ours didn’t get back from Swansea until nine in the morning, so I don’t think there would be many who would volunteer for that.”