Drunk Flyer Diverted From British Airways Flight

Court hearing suggests passenger disobeyed instructions after drinking vodka prior to departure.

A British Airways passenger could face fines or jailtime if she is convicted of delaying a flight by over two hours due to allegedly drunken behavior. Britain’s Daily Mail reports the flyer, 30-year-old Meghna Kumar, stands accused of one count of entering an aircraft while drunk over the incident.

The incident allegedly took place aboard a British Airways flight to Montreal on April 9, 2017. According to evidence presented in court, Kumar was allegedly drinking at an airport bar prior to departure. She arrived to boarding late, but was still allowed onboard the flight.

During taxiing, Kumar allegedly began to shout and stand from her seat. A flight attendant requested that she return, but the flyer allegedly began swearing at the flight crew. After a confrontation between Kumar and the attendants, they decided to leave the flyer alone and request the aircraft return to the gate. The pilots agreed and turned around to have Kumar removed and arrested.

“She was still unfastened in her chair when the decision was made to go back to the gate and have her taken off and she was arrested by the police,” prosecuting attorney Vijay Khuttan told the court, according to the Daily Mail. “The plane had started taxiing when it became disrupted, it was delayed for about two hours.”

Kumar pleaded not guilty during the hearing, claiming she only drank two vodka drinks prior to the departure. The flyer’s case will be escalated to a higher court next month.

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