UNRULY AIRLINE PASSENGER FINED $5,500 FOR WASTED FUEL
Man must also pay $8,000 court penalty
In a new tactic aimed at cracking down on disruptive airline passengers, a 33-yearold Australian man has been fined $5,500 to pay for fuel dumped from the plane when his unruly behaviour forced its return to Perth. That's on top of an $8,000 fine imposed by the Perth Magistrates Court.
Australian Federal Police announced the penalties, as well as the man's guilty plea last week. The incident dates to September 2023, police said. The man was charged with disorderly behaviour on an aircraft and failure to comply with safety instructions.
Police did not identify the man or the airline, but Australian news outlets have reported the incident occurred on a Jetstar flight, a low-cost carrier that is a subsidiary of Qantas. Allegedly, he was drunk and disruptive.
After the flight landed back in Perth, the man was confronted by TV reporters. He told 9 News that he would plead guilty because then he wouldn't face prison. Flexing his right bicep, he said “Sorry, guys” to his fellow passengers.
“All it is — is just a fine,” he said, laughing.
NOT FUNNY
However, Australian Federal Police Supt. Shona Davis said in a statement that the AFP was not treating the incident as a laughing matter.
“This incident should serve as a warning that criminal behaviour on board can come at a heavy cost to the offender,” she said.
“It's far simpler to obey the directions of airline staff than cause unnecessary issues, which can end up hitting you in the hip pocket.”
This is not the first time an airline has gone after a passenger for bad behaviour. In 2019, a British-based carrier said it had billed a passenger the equivalent of $106,000 for actions including trying to open plane doors during a flight.
In 2019, the International Air Transport Association called disruptive passengers “a significant problem” with one incident for every 1,053 flights reported in 2017.