A 33-year-old man will appear in a Sydney court today, charged with attempting to open an aircraft’s emergency exit door mid-flight.
The Canadian man was reportedly intoxicated on a flight from Vancouver to Sydney when another passenger noticed him trying to open the door two hours into the journey.
After the man was pulled away from the door, airline staff moved him to a seat at the back of the plane and supervised him for the remainder of the flight.
Upon arrival, Australian Federal Police arrested and charged him with one count of threatening the safety of an aircraft.
“The AFP and our aviation partners have no tolerance for antisocial, violent, or dangerous behaviour, and we will take action,” said Detective Inspector Stephenson. “Passengers expect to feel safe and should not have to witness or endure intoxication or reckless behaviour."
The maximum penalty for this charge is $5000 and imprisonment.
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