A British man, who caused chaos on a United Airlines flight and compelled the flight crew to change their landing plans, has been ordered to compensate the airline with a payment exceeding $20,000, as stated by prosecutors.
According to a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Alexander Michael Dominic MacDonald, a 30-year-old passenger, is facing charges related to a flight that took off from London on March 1. The charges come after MacDonald allegedly started arguing with his travel companion and caused a disturbance on the flight.
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According to prosecutors, MacDonald was asked by flight attendants to keep quiet and was also given attempts to calm him down. However, he responded by becoming aggressive, making threats, and intimidating the cabin crew.
According to prosecutors, MacDonald remained “belligerent and intimidating” towards the international purser who tried to intervene on the flight.
According to the DOJ release, MacDonald made a threat to “mess up the plane” during the altercation.
The flight crew took action to address the ongoing disruption by restraining MacDonald in flex cuffs. As a result, the flight made an unscheduled diversion from its intended destination of Newark, New Jersey, and instead landed in Bangor, Maine, according to prosecutors.
MacDonald has been in custody since the March 1 incident and has now been sentenced to time served by the U.S. District Court in Bangor. Additionally, he has been ordered to reimburse United Airlines with a sum of $20,638.00 for the flight diversion.
Upon arrival in Maine, local authorities apprehended MacDonald and his companion after they were taken off the plane, as stated by United Airlines.
According to the airline, it was observed that both passengers seemed to be intoxicated during the altercation.
According to prosecutors, the case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Bangor Police Department.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, there have been a total of 649 incidents of unruly passengers in 2024.
According to the report, officials from the FAA have stated that the rate of unruly passenger incidents has been steadily decreasing by over 80% since the record highs observed in early 2021. However, recent increases indicate that there is still more work to be done.
