Passenger who tried to open plane door and storm cockpit fined £85,000

RAF scrambled two fighter jets to escort the aircraft back to Stansted

Jet2.com has billed a disruptive passenger £85,000 after a flight was forced to divert accompanied by two RAF Typhoon fighter jets.

Chloe Haines, 25, tried to open the aircraft door and storm the cockpit during the flight from London Stansted to Dalaman in Turkey on 22 June.

The Costa Coffee employee also sent one flight attendant “flying across the plane” according to an eyewitness, and screamed, “I’m going to kill everyone.”

Haines, of Maidenhead, had to be restrained by passengers and crew. Her actions prompted the flight to return to Stansted accompanied by two scrambled RAF jets, which caused a sonic boom to be heard across Essex.

The airline is pursuing Haines for the costs incurred by the disruption, which it estimates at £85,000.

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: “Miss Haines’ behaviour was one of the most serious cases of disruptive passenger behaviour that we have experienced.

“She must now face up to the consequences of her actions, and we will vigorously pursue to recover the costs that we incurred as a result of this divert, as we do with all disruptive passengers.

“As a family friendly airline, we take an absolutely zero tolerance approach to disruptive behaviour, and we hope that this sobering incident, with its very serious consequences, provides a stark warning to others who think that they can behave in this fashion.”

Haines displayed “a catalogue of aggressive, abusive and dangerous behaviour”, the airline said in a statement, and was arrested on suspicion of assault and endangering an aircraft.

Fellow passenger Steven Brown from Romford, London, told The Sun that Haines ran to the front of the plane and “threw one stewardess from one side of the aisle to the other” during the flight.

He claimed she was punching, kicking and screaming at members of cabin crew.

“She was only petite but she had the strength of a fully-grown man,” he added.

Brown, along with other passengers and crew, helped pin her down until the plane touched down in Essex.

The incident happened just 25 minutes into the flight. Having departed Stansted at 4.50pm, the flight was forced to turn back at 5.15pm and landed back at the airport at 5.49pm.

Haines was banned from the roads for 28 months for drink-driving just two weeks before the flight. It was also revealed that she has been issued several community orders and a £450 fine at Slough Magistrates Court for assault.