Unruly behavior on airplanes can lead to hefty fines for passengers.
Just ask Alexander Michael Dominic MacDonald, from Chelmsford, England, who this week was ordered to pay $20,638 to United Airlines for his outbursts on a flight from London, England, to Newark, New Jersey in March.
The incident kicked off when MacDonald, 30, was having a loud argument with his girlfriend, according to an affidavit. The situation soon escalated and he started yelling at a flight attendant. He was both verbally and physically aggressive, according to court documents.
"When flight attendants asked MacDonald to be quiet and attempted to calm him, he became belligerent, threatening, and intimidating towards them," the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement announcing the fine. He also told the cabin crew lead that he would "mess up the plane," court documents show.
The unruly passenger was ultimately restrained with flex cuffs, and the flight — with 160 people on board —was diverted to Bangor, Maine. MacDonald, who has been in custody since March 1, pleaded guilty on March 22 to one count of interfering with a flight crew. He was also sentenced to time already served.
During the recent incident, United Airlines reported that a plane had to make an unscheduled landing in Bangor, Maine, due to two passengers causing a disturbance. The airline stated that the passengers appeared to be intoxicated, and law enforcement officials removed them from the flight. After the passengers were taken off, the plane resumed its journey and landed at Newark airport.
Incidents of unruly behavior in the air have been on the rise since the start of the pandemic, with tensions escalating between passengers and flight crew over issues such as mask-wearing.
In response to the increase in disruptive incidents, the FAA announced in 2022 that it would be implementing a permanent zero-tolerance policy against unruly passengers. Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen emphasized the importance of this policy, stating, "Behaving dangerously on a plane will cost you; that's a promise. Unsafe behavior simply does not fly, and maintaining our Zero Tolerance policy will help us make progress in preventing and penalizing such behavior."
