Passenger must pay for wasted fuel after mid-air incident

According to the Australian Federal Police, a then 32-year-old man from Western Australia disrupted a flight from Perth to Sydney. As a result, the plane had to turn around and return to Perth, which meant the pilot had to dump some fuel in order to be able to land.

Now the passenger has been ordered to pay the airline AUD$8,630 (USD$5,806) to cover the cost of the wasted fuel. The Perth Magistrates Court also fined him USD$6,055, meaning his misconduct in the air cost him a total of USD$11,861 – likely many times what he paid for the ticket.

“This incident should serve as a warning that criminal conduct on board can result in high costs for the offender,” Shona Davis, acting director of AFP, said in a statement.

“It is much easier to follow the instructions of the flight crew than to cause unnecessary problems that can end up costing you dearly.”

Although the flight took place on September 25, 2023, it took about a year for the case against the unruly passenger to go through the Australian legal system.

Neither the man nor the airline were named, nor was it specified exactly what he did to receive such a high fine.

The passenger pleaded guilty to one count of disorderly conduct on board an aircraft and one count of failure to comply with safety instructions.

While charging a disruptive traveler for fuel costs is not a typical penalty, other types of fines are more common.

In 2021, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced that it would implement a zero-tolerance policy toward passengers who misbehave on airplanes.

This year, passengers have been fined for a number of incidents on airplanes across the United States. One passenger attempted to enter the plane's cockpit and had to be restrained, and another punched a flight attendant in the face and was hospitalized. The most serious cases of in-flight mischief are also reported to the Department of Justice.

The largest single fine of $40,823 was imposed on a traveler who brought his own alcohol on board, got drunk, attempted to smoke marijuana in the restroom and sexually assaulted a flight attendant – all on a single flight.