Woman who allegedly drank bottle of wine on flight from New Caledonia to Sydney charged with assault of flight attendant

7NEWS

4 hours ago

A woman who allegedly drank a whole bottle of wine she had carried onto a flight to Sydney has been charged with the aggressive assault of a crew member.
The 64-year-old dual Italian-Australian national allegedly became disruptive when cabin crew told her she could not drink her own alcohol on a flight from Noumea, New Caledonia on June 3.
She began verbally abusing crew members and allegedly refused instructions to sit down during the aircraft's descent.
When crew members attempted to physically restrain the woman to a seat, she allegedly kicked one of the flight attendants in the stomach.
'Airline staff requested Australian Federal Police (AFP) assistance to remove the woman from the aircraft on its arrival at Sydney Airport,' AFP said.
'Following a health assessment by paramedics, she was taken to a hospital in Randwick and discharged the next day.'
On June 4, the woman was charged with four offences including offensive and disorderly behaviour on an aircraft and assaulting a crew member of Division 3 aircraft.
The latter offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted.
AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Dom Stephenson said disruptive or antisocial behaviour onboard planes would not be tolerated.
'All passengers and airline staff have the right to feel safe and should not have to witness intoxication, violence or bad behaviour, particularly when they're in a confined space in the air,' he said.
'People who engage in antisocial behaviour should understand this not only impacts their own travel plans, but also that of hundreds of other people if they cause a flight to be delayed or cancelled.'
The woman is due to face Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday.