Swearing passenger forced hol jet to return to airport
HOLIDAY JET FORCED TO TURN BACK TO MANCHESTER AS CAPTAIN FEARED FOR THE SAFETY OF PASSENGERS
A DRUNKEN passenger forced a holiday jet to turn back to Manchester after she swore and threatened to punch a stewardess.
Julie Morris, 54, was on board a Ryanair flight from Manchester to Ibiza last month when, shortly after take-off, she began screaming and swearing loudly.
She was sat opposite a family with a baby so a stewardess went to speak to her and asked her to calm down.
Staff suspected she was drinking alcohol that she had brought on board and they asked her about it.
Manchester magistrates court was told she launched a volley of expletives, telling the member of cabin crew ‘ **** off, you ******* b **** .’
She was then also heard to say ‘I will punch her.’
She was moved to another row but continued to be disruptive and the captain of flight FR1263 alerted the authorities and decided to turn back to ensure the safety of the passengers.
“The aircraft will only make the decision to return for the most extreme of incidents,” Tim McArdle, prosecuting, said.
He added diversions could cost airlines tens of thousands of pounds but there was no estimate on how much this set back Ryanair.
Police attended at Manchester’s Terminal 3 and met the aircraft, which landed around 40 minutes after it had taken off at 3.20pm, where Morris was arrested and taken into custody for questioning.
Morris pleaded guilty to a charge of entering an aircraft whilst drunk.
District Judge James Hatton could have fined her but decided to send the case to Minshull Street Crown Court where she could be handed a more serious punishment. He said: “You have entered a guilty plea and in due course you will receive full credit for that plea.
“The way the legislation is worded means you can be only be dealt with here by means of a financial penalty so I am going to allocate this case to the crown court.”
On the day of the incident, September 17, Ryanair said in a statement: “This flight from Manchester to Ibiza returned to Manchester Airport shortly after take-off after a passenger became disruptive inflight.
“We will not tolerate unruly or disruptive behaviour at any time and the safety and comfort of our customers, crew and aircraft is our number one priority.”
Morris, of Shakespeare Way, Blackburn, will be sentenced next month