Was it Saturday flight fever?
A New Zealand woman was booted from a flight and charged after drunkenly dancing in the aisle while the aircraft was taxiing.
The in-flight “Footloose” moment occurred in July aboard a Qantas flight from Sydney to Queenstown, news.com.au reported.
However, the trip quickly went south after a 50-year-old passenger, Sheree Young, went on a rampage before takeoff.
Police claim that the passenger, who was reportedly intoxicated at the time, ignored crewmember instructions, swore at staff and even performed a jig in the aisle.
This prompted the pilot to abort the flight, return to the gate and call upon the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to remove the inebriated kiwi from the aircraft, 9News reported.
When they confronted Young, she was reportedly argumentative and non-compliant, but they eventually succeeded in escorting her off the plane.
After the flight departed, she was discharged and returned home to NZ the next day.
Young appeared in court on Wednesday after being charged with failing to heed crewmember safety instructions, which carries a maximum fine of over $10,500.
The disruptive flyer was also charged with obstruction and resisting a Commonwealth official, which carries a maximum sentence of two years in prison if the person is found guilty.
These charges might sound extreme, but AFP Detective Acting Inspector Trevor Robinson claimed that Young’s behavior proved a huge flight risk.
“The alleged behavior of this woman risked the safety of herself, passengers and crew, and in this case caused a delayed takeoff, which inconveniences everyone on board,” he declared. “Anyone misbehaving under the influence of alcohol will be removed from their flight.”
In a similarly booze-fueled incident in August, a drunken lout was restrained during a Dubai-bound Emirates after labeling a flight attendant a “stupid b–h” for refusing to serve him any more libations.
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