Jet2 hits woman with £85,000 FINE for trying to open plane doors mid-flight

18 July 2019, 14:45 | Updated: 18 July 2019, 14:56

Chloe Haines, 25, also tried to storm the cockpit, sent a flight attendant "flying across the plane" and threatened to "kill everyone" on board, according to eye witnesses

A Jet2 passenger has been fined £85,000 for disrupting a flight to Turkey after she threatened to "kill" holidaymakers on board and attempted to open the aircraft doors mid-flight.

Chloe Haines, 25, from Maidenhead, was sent the bill by the airline following her "aggressive, abusive and dangerous behaviour" which meant two RAF fighter jets had to escort the plane back to Stansted Airport, causing a sonic boom over Essex.

The Costa Coffee employee also tried to storm the cockpit on the trip to Dalaman and sent a flight attendant "flying across the plane" with her "super strength", according to one eye witness.

She had to be restrained by passengers and crew members but reportedly punched, kicked and screamed as people tried to calm her down.

A former bouncer who tackled her to the floor said: "She was only petite but she had the strength of a fully-grown man. The only time I’ve seen anything like that was when someone had just dropped acid, she had super strength."

Another eye witness told The Sun: "A man sat on her and one person was holding her leg and someone else holding the other one.

"That’s when she started screaming 'get off me, I’m going to kill everyone'."

Steve Heapy, CEO of Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, said: "Miss Haines’ behaviour was one of the most serious cases of disruptive passenger behaviour that we have experienced.

"She must now face up to the consequences of her actions, and we will vigorously pursue to recover the costs that we incurred as a result of this divert, as we do with all disruptive passengers.

"As a family-friendly airline, we take an absolutely zero tolerance approach to disruptive behaviour, and we hope that this sobering incident, with its very serious consequences, provides a stark warning to others who think that they can behave in this fashion."

When the plane safely landed back at Stansted, Chloe was arrested by Essex Police on suspicion of assault, criminal damage and endangering an aircraft.

In a statement that followed, the airline confirmed it had issued the passenger in question with an £85,000 bill and a lifetime ban.