An Australian airline passenger has been issued with a court order to pay an airline AUD 8 630 (R103 365) as a penalty for causing a Perth-Sydney flight to turn back, dump fuel and land in Perth, according to CNN.
The Perth Magistrate Court also fined him AUD 6 055 (R72 515) for his mid-air disruptive behaviour.
The passenger pleaded guilty to one count of disorderly behaviour on an aircraft and one count of failure to comply with safety instructions.
The amount of the penalty that the airline will receive matches the cost of wasted fuel.
The case took a year to reach the court, but efficiently demonstrates Australia’s zero-tolerance stance on flight disruptions. Some Australian sources say the man was drunk and disorderly.
