Overview
- Footage posted by DJ Mohamed Amine Bou shows a man repeatedly standing, swearing and ignoring a female flight attendant’s repeated orders to “stay seated,” an incident that forced the Las Vegas-bound BA275 to return to the terminal before takeoff on Thursday, August 6.
- Metropolitan Police boarded the Airbus A350-1000 at Heathrow and arrested 31-year-old Emmet Moynihan on suspicion of being drunk on an aircraft and failing to obey the captain, then bailed him to appear at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on 26 August.
- Officers escorted the passenger off the plane in handcuffs and police say enquiries are ongoing, with British Airways confirming that disruptive or abusive behaviour will be dealt with appropriately.
- The disruption delayed the flight’s departure and it arrived in Las Vegas about two hours and nine minutes late, a delay that falls short of the three-hour threshold for UK261 compensation.
- The viral clip prompted widespread public praise for the crew, a musical remix of the attendant’s ‘stay seated’ line and renewed attention to how airlines, police and cabin staff manage in-flight disorder and passenger safety.