A foreign national in his 50s is being investigated by police for unruly behavior during a flight, including taking a business-class seat that was not his and refusing to follow the instructions of the flight attendants, airport police said Sunday.
The suspect left his assigned economy seat and moved into an empty business-class seat at around 5:50 p.m. Saturday on a Korean Air flight en route from Manila to Incheon Airport. When the crew asked the man to return to his seat, he refused and caused a further disturbance by throwing objects.
Cabin crew members reportedly subdued him during the flight and handed him over to police immediately after the aircraft landed. The plane arrived at Incheon on schedule despite the commotion.
The man claimed he acted “for safety reasons." The exact motive for the disturbance remains under investigation, officials said.
He has been released and is under investigation without detention.
Refusing to follow the instructions of flight attendants can be a violation of the Aviation Security Act, specifically Article 23 on the obligation of passengers to cooperate in the operation of an airplane. This requires passengers to follow legitimate instructions from the captain and prohibits behaviors such as making excessive noise, smoking or assaulting others.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
