Man with ‘air rage’ must pay $12K after disrupting flight

(NewsNation) — A midflight meltdown has cost an unruly passenger on an Australian flight nearly $12,000 (USD) in fines.

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A court ruled that the passenger is responsible for paying for the jet fuel used during the flight from Perth to Sydney, which had to turn around midair one year ago. The Australian passenger pleaded guilty last week to one count of disorderly conduct on an aircraft and one count of failure to comply with safety instructions.

The man’s misbehavior on board forced the pilot to dump fuel before returning to Perth and landing, ultimately canceling the flight, according to the Australian Federal Police.

“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,” Shona Davis, acting superintendent of the Australian Federal Police, said in a statement.

The hefty fine is not out of the ordinary when it comes to “air rage.” American passengers are paying the price for unruly behavior, too, being issued $7.5 million in fines nationwide last year, according to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

In 2023, the FAA recorded just over 2,000 unruly passenger reports and initiated 512 investigations.

This year so far, the FAA has received around 900 reports as of early September. The agency has seen a decline in the number of incidents since 2021, however, when nearly 6,000 cases emerged.

Unruly passengers on a plane can face penalties up to $37,000 per violation, and in some cases can face criminal prosecution and a felony conviction. Social media and video technology have made these cases easier to prosecute.