A 40-year-old passenger, who caused a disturbance while intoxicated on a Korean Air flight from Las Vegas to Incheon, was fined, highlighting the growing problem of 'unruly passengers' that has Korean Air on high alert.

On the 20th, Judge Kim Saet-Byeol of the Incheon District Court's Criminal Division 11 sentenced A (45) to a fine of 6 million KRW for violating the Aviation Security Act. A was charged with causing a disturbance for 40 minutes on a Korean Air flight bound for Incheon from Las Vegas on April 17 last year.

When a flight attendant showed A the records of the alcohol previously served, A shouted, "When did I drink this much wine?" and "Who served it to me?" He also entered the galley, the work area for the flight attendants, and protested, saying, "Did I cause a disturbance on the flight? I just asked for one more drink." A argued in court, "I did ask the flight attendants for more alcohol, but I did not enter the galley," and insisted that his actions were not disruptive enough to prevent the flight from operating safely.

However, the court ruled that A's actions did indeed constitute a disturbance under the relevant law, finding him guilty. Judge Kim noted, "Witnesses, including flight attendants and passengers, testified similarly that A, while intoxicated, demanded more wine and caused a disturbance by entering the galley." She added, "At the time, other passengers expressed anxiety, and the flight attendants were unable to properly perform their duties, such as pre-landing safety checks." The judge also pointed out that A showed no remorse for his actions, instead attempting to blame the flight attendants, which contributed to the sentencing.

In November last year, there was another incident on a Korean Air flight from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport to Incheon International Airport, where a 26-year-old woman was arrested after attempting to forcibly open an emergency exit mid-flight. She was charged with violating the Aviation Security Act and the Narcotics Control Act and was sentenced to two years in prison with a four-year probation period in July this year. Prosecutors have appealed, arguing that the sentence was too lenient.

The Incheon District Prosecutor's Office explained that the defendant had repeatedly committed drug offenses, including using methamphetamine and inhaling marijuana while in the United States, and that her attempt to open the emergency exit could have led to a major disaster, warranting a harsher penalty.

In 2020, a similar incident occurred on a Korean Air flight from Incheon to Seattle, where a man in his 60s entered the aircraft's kitchen about 40 minutes before landing, threatened three flight attendants, and attempted to enter the cockpit before being subdued by the crew.

According to data submitted by Rep. Maeng Sung-Kyu of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, incidents of illegal activities on aircraft, such as smoking, verbal abuse, and disruptive behavior, as well as causing sexual humiliation to others, totaled 2,232 cases between 2017 and June 2023. Korean Air had the most incidents with 900 cases, followed by Asiana with 373 cases, Jin Air with 244 cases, and T'way with 243 cases.

Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced at its annual meeting last year that incidents of in-flight disturbances are on the rise globally. In 2022, there were 1.76 incidents of in-flight disruptions per 1,000 flights (one incident per 568 flights), an increase of about 47% compared to 2021.

<Hyungseok Han>