A passenger was given an $11,780 fine after his bad behavior led to a flight being diverted and eventually canceled
- An unruly passenger was ordered to pay $11,780 after causing a flight cancellation.
- The Jetstar flight U-turned, and passengers had to stay in hotels overnight.
An unruly passenger has been ordered to pay 17,630 Australian dollars ($11,780), including fuel costs, after causing a flight to be canceled.
In Monday's announcement, the Australian Federal Police said the man was flying from Perth to Sydney last September.
Australian outlet 7News named Wade Corbett, aged 33 at the time, as the man accused of being drunk and disruptive on board the Jetstar flight.
Airline staff had requested assistance from law enforcement after his unruly behavior, the AFP said.
The pilots turned the plane around to Perth, and they had to dump fuel before landing.
Corbett was ordered to pay 8,630 Australian dollars (around $5,800) to the airline for the flight's fuel costs. He was also fined an additional 9,000 Australian dollars (around $6,000).
After the plane returned to Perth, the flight was canceled. According to 7News, the crew had reached their maximum working hours, so the airline had to arrange overnight accommodation for the passengers.
Corbett pleaded guilty to one count of disorderly behavior on an aircraft, and one count of failure to comply with safety instructions.
"This incident should serve as a warning that criminal behaviour on board can come at a heavy cost to the offender," said the AFP's acting superintendent, Shona Davis.
"It's far simpler to obey the directions of airline staff than cause unnecessary issues, which can end up hitting you in the hip pocket," she added.
Corbett's bill wasn't as costly as the fine faced by an 18-year-old British passenger earlier this year.
Aditya Verma was accused of joking about blowing up an easyJet flight, prompting fighter jets to scramble and escort the airliner.
Spanish authorities tried to give him a $120,000 bill, but he was found not guilty of public disorder.