Intoxicated Man Destroys Seat, Threatens Fellow Flyers After Crew Refuses to Serve Him Alcohol

Unhappy about being cut off on a recent Air India flight, an intoxicated flyer destroyed his seat and could face charges.

A drunken Air India passenger could face charges of vandalism after becoming unruly on a flight Sunday evening when flight attendants refused to serve him alcohol. The Hindustan Times reports the intoxicated man, identified as Thatethil Nijesh, took out his rage on two armrests, destroying them both and threatening the flight attendants who’d cut him off.

The incident reportedly took place on Air India Flight 194 while the aircraft was en route from Riyadh to Calicut. According to the airline, Nijesh’s temper escalated when the fight attendants told him he’d already had too much to drink and refused to serve him more alcohol.

In a fit of rage, Nijesh ripped the armrests off of his seat before allegedly threatening the safety of the crew and fellow passengers. Air India later confirmed the incident in a statement, adding that Nijesh had been arrested upon landing.

“A passenger had turned unruly owing to excess consumption of alcohol,” read a portion of the statement. “After reaching Calicut our crew handed the passenger over to the Central Industrial Security Force official who took him to the local police station.”

A representative for the airline’s flight attendants’ union warns the situation could have turned violent, even fatal, because the flight was understaffed. “It became a daunting task for the crew to handle such a violent traveler and perform other service duties,” said the union member, speaking with the Hindustan Times on the condition of anonymity.

[Photos: Hindustan Times]