A British man who threatened to “mess up” a United Airlines plane has been ordered to pay $20,638 (€19,116) to the carrier in damages by US courts.
A threat to the aircraft
Alexander Michael Dominic MacDonald, a 30-year-old from Chelmsford, UK, had boarded United Flight 883 bound from London’s Heathrow to Newark in New Jersey, USA on 1 March 2024, but during the flight he started to argue with his girlfriend, flying with him. When asked to lower his volume and calm down, MacDonald also became argumentative with the flight attendants and made threats of physical violence, asking if they wanted to “have a problem” and saying he would “mess up the plane.”
Although handcuffed in a plastic device and restrained by the crew as well as two other passengers, the man continued to be abusive and could not be physically contained. The pilot made a decision that the flight could not continue, telling Federal Bureau of Investigation agents that he feared the man was a credible threat to the aircraft.
The plane then diverted to Maine, causing disruption and delay for its 149 other passengers and 10 crew. The man was de-boarded and taken into custody, while the rest of the manifest continued to their final destination in Newark.
Since then, MacDonald has been detained awaiting deportation. Three weeks into March, he entered a guilty plea to charges of interference with flight crew members and attendants. He and his girlfriend, who were both said by the airline to be intoxicated at the time of the incident, have both been banned from flying United in the future.
Problem passengers are an increasing concern
Unruly passengers are an increasing concern for airlines. According to International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, there was a problem passenger aboard one out of every 568 flights in 2022, an increase from once per 835 flights in 2021. Incidents where physical aggression was recorded also increased, by more than 60% year-on-year.
Attempts have been made to create shared databases or so-called “no-fly” lists, detailing problem flyers, but judicial oversight of the issue remains complex due to the international boundaries involved in aviation. As a result, the (IATA) recently urged countries to sign up to the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO) Montreal Protocol 2014, or MP14. Signatories agree to grant the relevant authority for tackling problem passengers to countries where aircraft land. Unfortunately there are still only 45 signatories to the protocol, meaning around 67% of international passenger traffic is not covered by its protections.
