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29 March 2024

Rowdy flydubai traveller gets 1 year in jail

Economy Class return fares from Dubai to Novosibirsk start at Dh2,000 including 20kg checked baggage, while Business Class return fares will start at Dh11,500 and are inclusive of all taxes and 40kg checked baggage. (Supplied)

Published
By Eman Al Baik

A drunken passenger on a flydubai airplane who assaulted a member of the crew and created such a scene that the pilot landed the aircraft in Saudi Arabia half an hour after leaving Dubai International Airport, was sentenced to one year in jail.

The Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance also ordered MA, 40, marine officer, to be deported after serving his jail term.

After landing, MA was handed over to security authorities in the kingdom, and the plane resumed flying to Alexandria in Egypt.

On November 26, air hostess SD, 26, Moroccan, was preparing the food cart for passengers on flydubai from Dubai to Alexandria.

“Fifteen minutes after take-off, I started preparing the food cart for serving passengers. While passing by a passenger, he asked me for ice to drink wine that he said he had bought at the airport’s duty free shop.

"I told him that I cannot meet his request as it is illegal to drink wine brought from outside the plane. I saw a bottle of wine with him. When he heard my answer, he started abusing me and the crew. He continued to rage. I tried to calm him down but in vain,” said SD. 

A passenger who was sitting next to MA wrote on a piece of paper, saying she is scared of the angry passenger. She gave the paper to SD who was trying to calm the passenger down.

“I asked him to allow the passenger next to him to come out of the seat but he refused. He then stood up, pushed the passenger’s seat and abused the passenger and the crew in both Arabic and English, especially when he was told that what he is doing is against the law,” testified the air hostess.

MA pushed the hostess and the service cart away and walked to the toilet. After he came out of the toilet, he slapped the air hostess and the matter was brought to the attention of the pilot who asked the crew to overcome the passenger and tie him to his seat.

The crew tied the passenger to his seat and the pilot made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia where MA was handed over to the security authorities. Tests proved that the passenger had consumed alcohol.