Drunk Hawaiian Airlines passenger fined USD175,000
A passenger was ordered to pay Hawaiian Airlines a huge fine of more than $172,000 for a disruptive mid-air meltdown.
South Korean Kyong Chol Kim, 48, was also sentenced to six months in jail for interfering with flight crew.
The man’s behavior forced the Korea bound flight to return to Honolulu in February.
Kim, who was described as the passenger from hell, had drunk a bottle of whisky prior to the flight, the court heard.
He was brought to the attention of cabin crew after bothering a child seated next him.
Prosecutors say he then lunged at a flight attendant and had to be restrained with the help of other passengers including serving members of the US military.
The fine was calculated based on the airline’s cost of returning to Hawaii and accommodating passengers.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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