Source: The Straits Times

WEARING a T-shirt emblazoned with the word “Hustler”, a passenger on board a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight strode down the cabin aisle, intent on creating a mid-air scene.

Hiking up his shirt, he shook about wildly and disturbed his fellow passengers, even asking one of them for some wine. His antics, which went as far as threatening to open the emergency hatch, eventually forced air crew to restrain the 26-year-old.

At one point, a flight steward was forced to punch the passenger as others grabbed hold of him.

The episode on board flight SQ377 – from Barcelona to Singapore – on Feb 17 was captured on camera; an edited version of the video has started making its rounds online recently on a Spanish video channel.

The passenger has been identified as Australian national William Dull. He was arrested when the plane touched down the next morning.

Last week, he was sentenced to two weeks’ jail for his unruly behaviour on board the flight. It is believed he had been drinking alcohol on the plane prior to the incident.

When contacted, an SIA spokesman said Dull had been “loud and aggressive” on the plane, disturbing other passengers.

She said: “He was issued warnings by our cabin crew but persisted in his behaviour.”

The last straw came when Dull threatened to open one of the emergency exit doors an hour before its expected arrival at Changi Airport.

“Our crew immediately tried to restrain him, with assistance from other passengers,” she added.

Just two months ago, an Estonian was fined $15,000 after he wreaked havoc on a flight from Frankfurt to Singapore in December last year.

After drinking alcohol, he tried to kiss a passenger seated next to him. He was eventually restrained when he tried to kick, punch and even bite others on board. The captain was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Dubai after he was informed of the situation.

The 41-year-old served nine weeks’ jail as he could not pay the fines.

Flight crew are trained to recognise and deal with cases of passengers who become unruly, said the SIA spokesman in response to queries.

For example, the crew will “politely” decline further requests from passengers who have had a number of alcoholic drinks.

Members of the crew are also trained in self-defence tactics to handle passengers who turn violent. Passengers who show signs of “errant behaviour” before boarding the flight can also be refused boarding.

“The safety and security of our customers are our top priorities,” she said.

SIA did not provide figures for the number of unruly passengers it has encountered on board its flights.