Aussie man forced to pay for flight after his on-board behaviour forces pilot to turn around and dump fuel

A man has been forced to pay for the fuel costs of a commercial flight that had to be aborted because of his bad behaviour.

The man from Western Australia was on-board a flight from Perth to Sydney when his unruly conduct caused the pilot to return to the west coast capital and dump fuel before landing.

Airline staff called the Australian Federal Police for assistance and the man was arrested and charged when the incident took place on September 25 last year.

He faced the Perth Magistrates Court on Friday where he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct on an aircraft and failure to comply with safety instructions.

He was ordered to pay more than $8630 in reparation costs to the airline to cover the cost of fuel from the flight and fined $9000.

AFP Acting Superintendent Shona Davis said individuals who caused disturbances on flights could expect to be held accountable for their illegal actions.

“This incident should serve as a warning that criminal behaviour on board can come at a heavy cost to the offender,” Acting Superintendent Davis said.

“It’s far simpler to obey the directions of airline staff than cause unnecessary issues, which can end up hitting you in the hip pocket.

“The AFP is committed to ensuring all travellers have a safe journey from their departure through to their arrival at their destination.”