Drunk passenger ordered to pay more than $23,000 for flight's wasted fuel

The drunken incident occurred shortly after take-off on a WestJet flight from Calgary to London. Photo / 123RF

A British man who got so drunk on a plane that the pilot had to divert has been ordered to pay more than $23,000 for the cost of the flight's wasted fuel.

On January 4, 44-year-old David Stephen Young, became drunk and unruly on a WestJet flight from Calgary in Canada to London shortly after take-off.

The flight was forced to turn back to Calgary, where police reportedly arrested him and charged him with one count of causing a disturbance under Canadian Aviation Security Regulations.

Update
↩️ DIVERSION
UNRULY PASSENGER
Westjet #WS1 to London returning to Calgary with a disruptive passenger. Left their hold and now inbound YYC. Police meeting at the gate. https://t.co/n5EZ1UqdcK pic.twitter.com/rKpHZj2gL9

— Tom Podolec Aviation (@TomPodolec) January 5, 2019

Young pleaded guilty last week and a judge for the Alberta Provincial Court ruled that he must pay the airline $21,260 CAD ($23,135) - approximately the cost of the flight's wasted fuel, Buzzfeed News reported.

According to the CBC, prosecutors told the court that the pilot had to burn off and dump 9071kg of fuel in order to land safely.

CBC also reported that WestJet's total losses could amount to more than $200,000 CAD ($220,340), including both the cost of fuel and compensation for other passengers.

In a statement read in court by his lawyer, Young apologised for the "damage and inconvenience" he caused other passengers.

Defence lawyer Michelle Parhar said it would be very difficult for Young to enter Canada again.

Once he returned to the UK, "he's essentially barred from entering Canada, barred from seeing his mother in British Columbia" she said.