Airplane fuel is expensive, an unruly Jetstar passenger has come to learn after being ordered to pay compensation for a flight diversion. The Australian man, named by 7News as Wade Corbett, was ordered to pay nearly $12,000, including more than $5,000 in fuel costs, after his flight from Perth to Sydney was forced to make a U-turn on Sept. 25, 2023. Corbett, then 33, was drunk and disruptive, prompting airline staff to seek assistance from law enforcement, Australian Federal Police said Monday, per Business Insider. The flight ultimately returned to Perth, a reroute that forced pilots to drop fuel over land. Then came another headache for Jetstar.
As the crew had reached maximum working hours, the flight was canceled. The airline then had to arrange overnight accommodation for passengers before they could board another flight the following day, per 7News. Corbett pleaded guilty to one count of disorderly behavior on an aircraft and one count of failure to comply with safety instructions. A Perth Magistrate Court judge handed out what CNN sees as "an unusual form of punishment": a $6,000 fine plus a $5,800 fee to cover the lost fuel.
Consider this "a warning that criminal behavior on board can come at a heavy cost to the offender," said AFP Acting Superintendent Shona Davis. "It's far simpler to obey the directions of airline staff than cause unnecessary issues, which can end up hitting you in the hip pocket." (More unruly passenger stories.)