Plane Passenger Ordered to Pay Airline Back for Fuel After Disorderly Conduct Forced Landing

• A 33-year-old man flying from Perth to Sydney forced the plane to turn around due to his unruly behavior on Sept. 25, 2023
• Almost one year later, he was ordered to pay nearly $6,000 to cover the cost of fuel “in reparation” to the airline on Sept. 5, 2024
• The man was also charged with “disorderly behavior on an aircraft” and “failure to comply with safety instruction”

A passenger who forced a flight to divert due to his disorderly behavior has been ordered to pay the airline back for the cost of its wasted fuel.

The 33-year-old man from Western Australia was traveling from Perth to Sydney when his unruly conduct prompted the plane to turn around, according to a press release from the Australian Federal Police. 

While the incident occurred on Sept. 25, 2023, the man was ordered to pay $8,630 AUD ($5,786 USD) “in reparation costs to the airline to cover the cost of fuel from the flight” nearly a year later, on Sept. 5, 2024. He was also fined an additional $6,034 USD by the Perth Magistrates Court.

The man pleaded guilty to two offenses, including “one count of disorderly behavior on an aircraft” and “one count of failure to comply with safety instruction,” per the release. 

While the release further explains the details of the incident, it does not share the man’s name or specify which airline he was flying on at the time. 

“The AFP responded to a request for assistance from airline staff on board a flight from Perth to Sydney. The man’s behavior caused the flight to return to Perth, which required the pilot to dump fuel before landing, as well as the cancellation of the flight,” the release states.

Shona Davis, the AFP Acting Superintendent, said that this specific incident acts as a “warning” for travelers.

“This incident should serve as a warning that criminal behavior on board can come at a heavy cost to the offender,” Davis says. “The AFP is committed to ensuring all travelers have a safe journey from their departure through to their arrival at their destination.”

While paying for fuel specifically is unusual, hefty fines are not uncommon for those who misbehave at 30,000 feet.

In November 2023, a woman flying from Phoenix to Honolulu was ordered to pay nearly $40,000 to American Airlines for disorderly behavior, according to a press release from the US Attorney’s Office in the District of Arizona.

The woman was fined because she “used profanity and threatened the flight crew and passengers on board,” according to the release. The captain ultimately decided to return to Phoenix as the crew “was unable to continue their duties,” leading several other flights to be rerouted.

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And in July 2021, a woman flying from Dallas-Fort Worth to Charlotte was fined $81,950 by the Federal Aviation Administration for allegedly pushing a flight attendant and attempting to open a cabin door.

It was the FAA’s largest fine in its history.

Former FAA chief Steve Dickson officially signed a zero tolerance policy in January 2021 that vows to “pursue legal enforcement action” against any passenger who’s guilty of disorderly behavior, per the organization’s website.