A woman will front court today over an alleged “wine-fuelled” assault that unfolded on an international flight earlier this month.
The 64-year-old Australian-Italian dual citizen allegedly consumed a bottle of wine she brought on board a flight from Noumea, New Caledonia, to Sydney on June 3.
When the airline crew told the woman she wasn’t allowed to consume her own wine on the plane, she allegedly became “verbally abusive and disruptive”.
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She allegedly kicked a flight attendant in the stomach during the altercation.
The airline crew had to physically restrain her to keep her under control, according to the Australian Federal Police.
She was removed from the plane by AFP officers when the flight landed in Sydney.
She was then taken to Randwick Hospital following a health assessment and was discharged the next day.
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She was charged with several offences, including assaulting a crew member, disorderly conduct on an aircraft, failing to comply with safety instructions provided by cabin crew and more.
“All passengers and airline staff have the right to feel safe and should not have to witness intoxication, violence or bad behaviour, particularly when they’re in a confined space in the air,” AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Dom Stephenson said.
The woman will front Wollongong Local Court today.
