It's an expensive lesson for one unruly passenger who now has to pay an airline nearly a hundred thousand dollars because his antics forced the plane to turn around. New Jersey resident James August was ordered by a federal judge yesterday to pay Hawaiian Airlines 98-thousand dollars.
He pleaded guilty in February to interfering with a Honolulu to New York flight where prosecutors say he threatened his girlfriend, her children, passengers, and crew members. He was given three months probation and the fine is to cover the airline's costs of fuel and other incidentals like paying to find passengers other flights on other carriers.
He doesn't have to pay for the nearly 50-thousand-dollars in meal vouchers given to inconvenienced travelers, however.
Source: NBC New York