Australian passenger ned C$5,500 for wasted fuel after disorderly behaviour on ight
In a new tactic aimed at cracking down on disruptive airline passengers, a 33-year-old Australian man has been fined C$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 C$8K 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.
“The safety of our crew and customers is our first priority and we do not tolerate any disruptive or abusive behaviour on our aircraft,” a Jetstar spokesperson told Australia’s 9News. “We apologize to customers who were impacted by this disruption and thank them for their patience as our teams worked hard to provide overnight accommodation in Perth and replacement flights on Monday morning.”
After the flight landed back in Perth, the man was confronted by TV reporters. He told 9News 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.
However, Australian Federal Police Superintendent 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.
Postmedia News