AN AIRLINE passenger whose drunken antics forced a British Airways flight to make an unplanned landing will make an expensive return trip to the US to face charges.
The 24-year-old Glasgow man, who was detained after the Gatwick to Orlando flight was diverted to Logan International Airport in Boston, is due to be sent back to the UK.
But US officials have ordered him to return to Boston for a court appearance at a later date – and he must pay the air fare out of his own pocket.
A spokesman for US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said the unruly passenger – who has not been named – remained in custody in Massachusetts, but has been booked on a BA flight back to London tomorrow. sun “Privacy laws prohibit CBP from revealing the subject’s identity or details of his admissibility review”, said the spokesman.
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“The Massachusetts State Police has issued a summons to the subject for interfering with a flight crew. The summons requires him to return to Massachusetts for a court appearance.”
BA flight 2039 had left London for Florida on Thursday afternoon, but was diverted to Boston after the flight crew raised concerns over the passenger’s disruptive behaviour.
He was taken into custody by Customs officers about 30 minutes after the plane touched down at Logan. A source at the CBP said the man “appeared to be intoxicated”.
The remaining passengers on the Boeing 777 were able to continue their journey to Orlando 90 minutes later.
A British Airways spokeswoman has apologised to other passengers on the flight for the delay.
She said: “Our customers and crews deserve to enjoy their flights, and not to suffer any form of abuse.Disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated, and the appropriate action will always be taken.”
Last month, a budget airline that flies out of Glasgow Airport announced it was to ban the sale of alcohol before 8am on all of its flights in an effort to reduce disruptive behaviour.
Jet2.com – which already operates a no-tolerance policy for drunken behaviour – also called for airports and retailers to follow its lead.
The move was announced after a 37-year-old passenger was banned for life from the airline for alleged disruptive behaviour on a flight from Gran Canaria to Glasgow.
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That incident happened in the same week another passenger was fined £400 and given a one-year ban by Jet2.com after being abusive on a flight to Alicante.
Meanwhile, hundreds of guests at a hotel near Glasgow Airport had to be evacuated in the early hours of yesterday as emergency workers tackled a massive gas leak.
Gas engineers in full breathing apparatus used pneumatic drills to carry out urgent repairs at the site outside a Holiday Inn Express.
Hotel guests were evacuated to another nearby Holiday Inn.
Three fire engines were among the emergency vehicles sent to the scene, which is just yards from the M8.
A spokesman for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said gas engineers traced the leak to a subterranean mains pipe.
Fire crews provided assistance while work to isolate the gas leak continued.
The incident also caused major disruption to traffic, with police closing part of the M8 to allow repairs to be carried out.
Glasgow Airport remained open during the incident, but passengers travelling by road were advised to leave extra time to travel.
There were no reports of any casualties.
READ MORE: Elderly care plans hit by lack of money and staff, Scottish Parliament survey of care boards finds
A spokesman for gas company SGN said: “Our engineers have located the source of the gas escape and made the situation safe.
“We are now starting to dig down to our gas main to make the repair.”
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