A man who was a passenger on an Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to Sydney has been penalized for his inappropriate behavior during a delay in deplaning. The incident, which took place last December, only came to light recently when it was reported by a New Zealand news website. The man, aged 53, was fined $395 by a Sydney court in February for his offensive conduct.
The passenger’s behavior was brought to the attention of the public by a fellow passenger, known only as Holly, who reported the incident to the flight crew. Holly and her 15-year-old daughter were seated in the aisle and middle seats, respectively, when they noticed the man, seated by the window, urinating into a cup.
According to Holly, the plane had been stationary on the tarmac for approximately 20 minutes, awaiting allocation of a terminal gate, when she heard the distinct sound of the man relieving himself into a cup. She further stated that the man appeared to be heavily intoxicated.
The incident took a turn for the worse when the man accidentally spilled urine on a flight attendant while exiting the plane. However, this was not the reason for his removal from the plane. The Australian Federal Police issued a statement explaining that the man was escorted off the plane because he had urinated into a cup while seated.
Air New Zealand, while refraining from commenting on individual incidents, stated that it prohibits between five and ten customers each month due to disruptive behavior, including intoxication.