Federal prosecutors are investigating the airline after passengers on a United Airlines flight from London to Newark in March became so loud and violent that the flight attendant diverted the plane to Bangor, Maine. announced that he was ordered to pay $20,638 in restitution.
Passenger Alexander Michael Dominic Macdonald, 30, of Chelmsford, England, was also given a sentence that expired on April 25, prosecutors said.
Mr McDonald had been in custody since his arrest on March 1 after his plane landed at Bangor International Airport. He pleaded guilty on March 22 to one count of interfering with a flight crew member, a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
“He has apologized for his actions in court and looks forward to returning to his family in the UK,” Matthew D. Morgan, Mr. McDonald's lawyer, said in an email Tuesday.
United Airlines Flight 883, with approximately 160 passengers and 10 crew members on board, departed from Heathrow Airport near London on the morning of March 1, arriving at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, according to an FBI affidavit. I was heading to the airport.
A few hours into the flight, the purser, or chief flight attendant, heard Mr. McDonald “arguing loudly” with his girlfriend and asked him to lower his voice, according to the affidavit. He agreed to do so, but a few minutes later the purser spotted him yelling again, this time at another flight attendant, his affidavit said.
The purser tried to calm McDonald down, but McDonald “did not listen and continued to be verbally and physically aggressive,” according to the affidavit. McDonald asked the purser if he “wanted trouble” and threatened to “ruin the plane,” according to the affidavit. Documents say he placed his hand on Purser's shoulder as he cornered her.
The purser, with the help of another passenger, restrained Mr McDonald with flexible handcuffs, but Mr McDonald “did not comply” and the purser said the plane needed to be grounded “for the safety of the crew”. determined, the affidavit states. The captain also believed it was “too risky” to continue the flight to Newark, according to his affidavit.
United Airlines said in a statement that the plane landed in Bangor “to remove two unwanted passengers who police believe were intoxicated.” The statement did not identify the passengers, but said both were barred from flying on United Airlines. After the passengers were removed from the plane, the plane departed for Newark.
The number of incidents involving unruly passengers on planes has been steadily declining since hitting a record high in 2021. Passengers returning to the skies amid easing coronavirus restrictions have frequently reported disruptions, including many heated disputes over mask rules.
In January 2021, the Federal Aviation Administration introduced a “zero-tolerance policy” for passengers who misbehave, with large fines replacing the traditional warning letters and counseling. The agency announced that last year, it received 2,075 reports of passengers violating bad manners, which rose to 2,455 in 2022 and 5,973 in 2021.
