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- Unruly passenger ordered to pay for fuel after flight diverted (newsbreak.com)
Aviation industry leaders will testify before Congress on unruly passengers. An Australian man has incurred thousands of dollars in fines and fuel charges following his disruptive behavior that forced a flight diversion last year.
The 33-year-old, whose name has not been revealed, was on a flight from Perth to Sydney on September 25, 2023, when his actions caused enough disturbance for the plane to return to Perth, according to the Australian Federal Police. Although the details of his behavior were not disclosed, it prompted a premature return, requiring the pilot to dump fuel and other passengers to be reaccommodated on a later flight.
Upon landing, the Australian Federal Police arrested the man and charged him with disorderly behavior on an aircraft and failing to comply with safety instructions. He pleaded guilty to these charges last week.
The man has been fined $9,000 Australian dollars (approximately $6,000 USD) and charged an additional $5,600 USD for the airline’s fuel costs. Acting Superintendent Shona Davis of the Australian Federal Police expressed hope that this incident would deter similar behavior in the future, emphasizing that obeying airline staff is easier and less costly than causing disruptions.
Earlier in the year, a British man faced over $20,000 in charges after his altercation with his girlfriend on a flight from London to Newark resulted in him yelling at a flight attendant and becoming physically aggressive. The flight had to be diverted to Bangor, Maine, where he was restrained and removed from the plane.
In 2022, the FAA introduced a zero-tolerance policy for unruly passengers. “Behaving dangerously on a plane will cost you; that’s a promise,” said Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen, reinforcing the commitment to preventing and punishing unsafe behavior on flights.
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- Unruly passenger ordered to pay for fuel after flight diverted (newsbreak.com)