Bizarre Passenger Behaviour
2009 British-based artist, actress and Northwest Airlines flight.
author Galina Rusanova caused an in-
flight disturbance on a flight from London Caught on Film
to Los Angeles. Rusanova mixed wine As technology and social media continue
and prescription drugs and apparently to cultivate our world-wide
went as far as drinking liquid hand soap communications, cameras and videos
in addition to attacking flight crew. She are at our finger tips, which also means
was arrested upon landing. images can be made public moments
In June 2009 British pop star Pete after an event. Both of the nude
Doherty was found by a British Airlines passengers mentioned in this article
flight attendant having passed out in a were photographed while the situations
lavatory with a hypodermic syringe nearby. occurred and photos were posted on the
Ake Lundbom was alleged to have Doherty had been shooting heroin. Internet.
sexually assaulted the woman next to And, in July, pop singer Lily Allen was Besides humiliating the passenger,
him on a Delta Airlines flight. involved in two incidents, neither of being published on You Tube or world-
which resulted in her arrest. In Belgrade wide newspapers, such publicised events
with the pilots and other passengers, he she decided it would be funny to climb can be damaging to the airlines, as
managed execute his plan and jumped to into an X-ray machine and, less than two respected airline branding expert and the
his death. weeks later, Virgin Atlantic aircrew had to CEO of global aviation consultancy
reprimand her and fellow traveller, Liam SimpliFlying, Shashank Nigam points
Risk Takers Gallagher of Oasis, regarding their overly out. “Recently, Delta Airlines’ SVP of
The mile-high club has been a long-time exuberant behaviour on a flight to Tokyo. marketing, Tim Mapes, was asked to
ordeal cabin crews occasionally Most recently, on 20 August, American speak at an industry conference about
encounter. What tempts passengers to singer Katy Perry lost her cool at an the changing role of the Chief Marketing
such risky behaviour? Laxson says, “The airport security checkpoint. Officer (CMO). He shared the story about
motivation is the illicitness of having sex one of Delta’s passengers who ‘used his
in a public place, in close proximity to Various Versions video cell phone to capture the onboard
people and potentially getting caught. It’s A difficult position for airlines and law hullabaloo that arose during a flight
an adrenaline rush.” enforcement is when two parties have delay, which he posted in real time on
Usually a “knock it off” is enough to conflicting stories, which makes it hard to YouTube. At that moment, this passenger
embarrass the pair, but not always. In prove guilt. Last December, for example, was the CMO. He had more power to
2007, on board a US Airways flight from a 30-something woman awoke from what communicate something about the
Seattle to Las Vegas, a couple was she thought was an erotic dream in brand experience than anyone of us in
getting a little frisky in their seats and which there was an orgy taking place on our corporate offices.’”
when the couple tried to move the party board her Delta Airlines flight, only to find Shashnak finishes, “Dealing with
in to the lavatory they got into a quarrel the man seated next to her, Ake disruptive behaviour on a plane is ever
with the flight attendant. The plane Lundbom, 63, allegedly molesting her. A more important today because of the
diverted to Portland and the pair was flight attendant saw them cuddling but advent of social media. Anyone can take
kicked off the plane. had assumed they were a couple. The video or photos of an incident and post
woman admitted to having a glass of them on the internet where they can
Celebrities wine then falling asleep, but couldn’t spread like wildfire. And these incidences
Speaking of sex on an aircraft, one of this recall also taking tranquillisers. Lundbom can be embarrassing for an airline.”
year’s most popular headlines involved denied any wrong doing, claiming the Embarrassing, indeed, and let’s not
Guinness beer descendant, Clare Irby, who activity to have been consensual. forget the time, money, energy, and risk
was on-board an 11-hour Kingfisher Airlines An even more nauseating incident of losing faithful customers an in-flight
flight from Bangalore to Heathrow last happened this past summer on a United disruption causes.
March. Irby was accused of becoming Airlines flight. A thirteen-year-old girl was As for the passengers who cause the
intoxicated in-flight and getting sexual with flying home as an unaccompanied minor havoc, well, they will most likely be
passenger Daniel Melia, while his girlfriend, after spending time at a weight-loss haunted by their actions – forever.
model Sarah Hannon, slept nearby. When camp. Her seatmate, Pastor Jackson
Melia’s girlfriend awoke, the event Senyonga, allegedly touched her The author is a former flight attendant
escalated into an altercation between the inappropriately, which triggered the girl to who now works as a freelance travel
two women. In addition, passengers and alert a flight attendant and ask to be re- writer. She is recognised as a travel
crew said Irby was ignoring her young child, seated. Senyonga admitted he “brushed expert and is frequently interviewed and
allowing him to roam the aircraft over her” with his hands but weakly cited in various media
unsupervised. Irby’s case recently went to claimed he thought she was an adult (the publications for her
court where she claimed sleep deprivation girl was wearing an “unaccompanied experience related to
was the cause of her conduct. She was minor” badge). Emily's mother opted to in-flight topics. She
cleared of all charges. sue both Senyonga and United Airlines. currently lives in the
Alcohol and drugs seem to be popular Similar accounts were reported in 2007 Twin Cities area.
with musicians and entertainers: In April on a Delta Airlines flight and in 2001 on a
26 Register now for FREE instant access to ASI online by visiting www.asi-mag.com October 2009 Aviationsecurityinternational
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