British low-cost carrier Jet2 has billed a woman $105,000 and banned her from the airline for life after her "extremely disruptive behavior" forced a flight from London Stansted Airport to Dalaman, Turkey to return to the U.K. escorted by a pair of Royal Air Force (RAF) jets last month.
Twenty-five-year-old Chloe Haines is accused of exhibiting "aggressive, abusive and dangerous behavior" and attempting to open the aircraft doors.
The airline said crew needed the help of customers to restrain Haines, who was arrested on "suspicion of two assaults and endangering an aircraft," according to a spokeswoman for Essex Police.
The massive bill reflects the cost Jet2 incurred as a result of the diversion.
"Jet2.com has issued a lifetime ban to a disruptive passenger, Chloe Haines, and billed her more than £85,000 after her extremely disruptive behavior led to the flight having to be diverted and the RAF having to scramble two Typhoon fighters to escort the aircraft," the airline confirmed in a statement.
Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy said the airline "will vigorously pursue to recover the costs that we incurred as a result of this divert, as we do with all disruptive passengers."
"As a family-friendly airline, we take an absolutely zero-tolerance approach to disruptive behavior, and we hope that this sobering incident, with its very serious consequences, provides a stark warning to others who think that they can behave in this fashion," Heapy said in a statement.
Earlier this month, a Hawaiian Airlines passenger was sentenced to six months in jail and ordered to pay a fine of $172,000 after his drunken outburst aboard a flight in February forced the plane to make an emergency landing in Honolulu.
A Delta Air Lines flight crew was also forced into action this month when a passenger attempted to enter the cockpit on a flight from Puerto Rico to New York.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
