A disruptive individual, under the influence of alcohol, on a family holiday flight from Edinburgh to Turkey, caused distress and concern among passengers and crew members. Identified as Michaela Hawes, she exhibited agitated behavior, verbally abused cabin crew, and insulted the captain, resulting in the flight being redirected to Germany instead of its intended destination of Dalaman. The incident led to a three-hour delay and crew members exceeding their allotted flight hours.
As a consequence, the airline, Jet 2, incurred significant expenses by providing accommodation for hundreds of affected passengers who were supposed to return to Edinburgh on the same flight. Ultimately, the delayed flight arrived back in Edinburgh 16 hours behind schedule the next day. Hawes, acknowledging her aggressive conduct on the aircraft, pleaded guilty in court and expressed remorse for her involvement in the disturbance.
Hawes, a mother of two from Dundee, had initially booked the holiday, and other family members joined the flight later, contributing to the disruption. Witnesses reported Hawes boarding the plane appearing tipsy and unsteady, with subsequent unruly behavior including swearing and causing disturbances. The captain decided to divert the aircraft due to the disruptive conduct of the family members.
Following the landing in Cologne, police intervention was required to escort Hawes off the plane after further disruptive behavior. The court emphasized the alarm and distress caused by Hawes’ actions to passengers and crew. Consequently, she received a six-month supervision order and a restriction of liberty order, requiring her to stay at home between specific hours for five months and attend an alcohol misuse service.
Additionally, two other individuals, Courtney Maich and Alannah O’Neill from Dundee, were sentenced for their involvement in the incident. They received supervision orders, community work requirements, and similar home restriction orders. Maich was also fined for spitting on a fellow passenger during the incident. Jet 2 sought compensation for the incurred expenses and initiated a civil action against Maich and O’Neill to recover the losses.