2024-09-18 12:54:16
A 33-year-old Australian man faces a hefty fine after his wild behaviour on a flight last September forced the pilot to return to the airport.
The court ordered the passenger to pay $6,055, plus another $5,800 to the airline for lost fuel. In total, he must pay $11,855 – about 44,000 shekels.
The incident occurred on a domestic flight from Perth to Sydney. Although the police statement did not name the passenger or the airline, Australian media reported that the flight was operated by Jetstar Airways, a low-cost subsidiary of Qantas, Australia’s national airline.
Australian news outlet WAtoday reported that the man was either drunk or on drugs, disrupted the crew and at one point locked himself in the toilet until the plane landed, forcing the airline to cancel the flight.
“This incident should serve as a warning that criminal behaviour on board an aircraft can result in severe penalties,” the police statement said. “It is far easier to follow the instructions of the crew than to create unnecessary problems that could result in serious financial losses.”
The Washington Post notes that the number of unruly passengers has been growing in recent years, which is alarming authorities who are taking the issue very seriously. According to official data, in 2022, there was one incident for every 568 flights in the United States, which is significantly higher than in 2021, when there was one incident for every 835 flights.
The largest fine ever levied against a passenger was $40,823, CNN reported. The fine was for a man who boarded a Southwest Airlines flight drunk, tried to smoke marijuana in the plane’s bathroom, and sexually assaulted a flight attendant.
Israel has also seen incidents in this area. In July, Spanish budget airline Vueling cancelled a flight from Tel Aviv to the Spanish resort town of Lloret de Mar after two young Israelis were caught smoking on board.
Earlier, Cursor wrote that the German woman broke off relations with the plane after a 9-year romance.