British passenger gets suspended sentence after flight diversion
A 42-year-old British passenger was sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for three years, after causing a disturbance aboard a flight from Newcastle to Heraklion that was diverted to Thessaloniki, Greek authorities said.
According to AMNA, the passenger was convicted by the Misdemeanours Single-Member Court of Thessaloniki in summary proceedings for failing to comply with the captain’s instructions and disrupting order during the flight.
He admitted his actions in court, saying he had been heavily intoxicated and apologising for his behaviour.
Aggressive behaviour on board
The incident occurred during Sunday night’s flight, when the passenger, visibly drunk, reportedly behaved aggressively toward crew members and other passengers.
He also repeatedly failed to comply with instructions from the flight crew, prompting the captain to take action to restore order.
Aircraft lands in Thessaloniki
The disruption led the captain to divert the aircraft and make an emergency landing at Makedonia International Airport in Thessaloniki at about 1:30 a.m.
Airport police arrested the passenger after the aircraft landed and took him into custody before he was brought before the court.
The aircraft subsequently continued its journey to Heraklion.
