Airline Passenger Charged After Alleged Drunken Tantrum
An Australian man appeared in court earlier this week to address charges of disorderly conduct stemming from a March incident in which he allegedly punched the wall of the airport terminal while under the influence of alcohol, a press release from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) reported.
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The 37-year-old was reportedly visibly intoxicated when he boarded the flight, leading flight attendants to request he be removed from the plane. While speaking to staff at the boarding gate, the man allegedly became “loud and aggressive” towards crew members before he “punched the wall outside a boarding gate with an open palm.”
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“Our airports are a shared, safe space and airport and airline staff should not have to deal with intoxicated passengers, verbal abuse or any other bad behavior,” the AFP said in its statement, adding that the suspect refused to identify himself for police at the scene. “The AFP works closely with our partners in the airline industry to intervene if anyone’s behavior in or around an airport becomes aggressive,” the statement concluded.
According to the Perth Magistrates Court, the suspect has been charged with one count of acting in a disorderly manner in public and one count of failure to comply with a request. Each charge carried a maximum penalty of $6,000, so the suspect may end up paying as much as $12,000 for his ill-timed outburst.