SINGAPORE- A British man on board a Singapore Airlines (SQ) flight from London Heathrow (LHR) to Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) has been formally charged with multiple offences related to abusive conduct toward airline staff and fellow passengers.
Steven George Harris, 62, was on Singapore Airlines Flight SQ309 when he allegedly insulted and threatened passengers and physically assaulted a crew member, leading to four criminal charges.
Photo: By Jiaqian AirplaneFan, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=56798685Singapore Airlines Passenger Charged
The incident occurred aboard Singapore Airlines (SQ) Flight SQ309 en route from London Heathrow (LHR) to Singapore (SIN) between April 27 and 28.
Steven George Harris faces four charges: one for criminal intimidation, one for using insulting language to cause harassment, and two under the Air Navigation Act for misconduct towards airline crew.
According to court documents, Harris allegedly made racially charged and aggressive remarks to other passengers. He reportedly told a fellow traveler that “it was disgusting that two races would mix” and “Britain is not white anymore.”
In a separate instance, he is accused of threatening another passenger with violent language, including stating, “I’ll kill you,” which made the victim fear for their safety.
In addition to the verbal abuse, Harris is said to have physically confronted a flight attendant by shoving him twice, causing the crew member to fall the second time.
He also allegedly directed derogatory remarks at another crew member, referring to him as a “glorified bar man” while using profane language.
Photo: Aero Icarus | FlickrCourt Proceedings and Potential Penalties
The offences reportedly occurred between 5:15 p.m. on April 27 and 6:20 a.m. on April 28 while the aircraft was in flight. Harris appeared in court on July 29 and indicated a plea of “not guilty.” The case has been adjourned for a pre-trial conference scheduled for the following month.
If found guilty of harassment, Harris could face up to six months in jail, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both. Criminal intimidation carries a penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both; if the intimidation involves a death threat, the jail term may extend up to 10 years.
Under Singapore’s Air Navigation Act, behaving in a disorderly or insulting manner towards flight crew may result in a jail term of up to five years, a fine of up to S$100,000, or both.
Photo: By Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland – Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER; 9V-SWK@ZRH;20.07.2007/479cz, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27844410Airline and Legal Framework
Singapore Airlines is known for its strict enforcement of in-flight conduct policies. Disruptive behavior on international flights falls under both international aviation laws and local jurisdictions upon landing.
In this case, Singapore’s legal system is handling the charges due to the flight’s arrival point at Singapore Changi Airport (SIN).
Singapore’s Air Navigation Act empowers authorities to take serious action against individuals whose conduct threatens flight safety or the well-being of crew and passengers.
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