Latest news with #AvariLahoreHotel
New York Post
08-08-2025
- New York Post
Supermodel wife of drunk Virgin Atlantic passenger who threatened to rape flight attendant defends husband's vile outburst
The supermodel wife of the disgraced executive jailed for threatening to rape a flight attendant defended her husband days after he was sentenced for the harrowing incident. Abeer Rizvi suggested her husband Salman Iftikhar's mental health issues were the reason for his vile, first-class tirade directed at Virgin Atlantic flight attendant Angie Walsh during an eight-hour flight in 2023. 'Mental health is not a joke. Behind every story, there's pain you don't see,' Rizvi wrote on her Instagram Story Thursday. 'Before judging, try understanding,' she said. 'Be kind. Be human.' Iftikhar, the founder of recruitment firm Staffing Match, is married to both Rizvi and Erum Salman, according to the Daily Mail. 8 Salman Iftikhar shouts at Virgin Atlantic flight attendant Angie Walsh during a flight from London, England to Lahore, Pakistan on Feb. 7, 2023. Rizvi lives in Pakistan, where she operates a salon and posts glitzy photos of herself on social media to her half a million followers on TikTok and Instagram. Iftikhar was traveling from London, England, to Lahore, Pakistan, with Salman and their three kids when he became intoxicated and disruptive on Feb. 7, 2023. The 37-year-old father of three was downing champagne in front of his children during the flight's first-meal service when he reached over the counter and began grabbing ice for himself using his hands, according to the Mirror. Cabin crew staffers reprimanded Iftikhar, telling him to go back to his seat when the crazed passenger launched into his tirade. 'Don't tell me what to do, you racist f–king bitch. I know where you are from in Cardiff,' Iftikhar screamed during the flight, according to the outlet. 8 Abeer Rizvi shared her support for her husband in a post to her Instagram Story. abeeriftekhar/Instagram 8 'Mental health is not a joke. Behind every story, there's pain you don't see,' Rizvi wrote in the post. abeeriftekhar/Instagram Iftikhar attempted to fight male flight attendant Tommy Merchant before escalating the situation and horrifyingly identifying the hotel room Walsh would be staying in at the Avari Lahore Hotel. 'The white sheep s–ing bitch will be dead. The floor of your hotel will be blown up and it will disappear,' Iftikhar shouted, according to the Mirror. 'You will be dragged by your hair from your room and gang-raped and set on fire.' 8 The 37-year-old father of three was downing champagne in front of his children during the flight's first-meal service when he reached over the counter and began grabbing ice for himself using his hands. 8 Iftikhar attempted to fight male flight attendant Tommy Merchant before escalating the situation and horrifyingly identifying the hotel room Walsh would be staying in at the Avari Lahore Hotel. Officials managed to get the hotheaded executive to return to his seat and Iftikhar was allowed off the flight without any police intervention in Pakistan. Police in England arrested Iftikhar at his $1.2 million home in Iver, England, on March 16, 2024. Staffing Match, which Iftikhar and Salmar ran, went bankrupt after amassing $22.8 million of debt following the executive's arrest, the Daily Mail reported. Iftikhar admitted to making the threats to kill and the racial harassment of Walsh during the flight, but denied any harassment charges stemming from his altercation with Merchant. 8 Iftikhar is married to both Rizvi and Erum Salman, the woman he shares his three children with. abeeriftekhar/Instagram 8 Iftikhar was sentenced to 15 months in jail for his vile outburst directed at Walsh on Aug. 5, 2025. LinkedIn / Salman Iftikhar Iftikhar was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his outburst on Tuesday during a hearing at Isleworth Crown Court. Walsh testified during the hearing, saying she was left traumatized from the incident and forced to take 14 months off work in the aftermath. 'I am a strong, brave, happy stewardess, and loved my job. I am well-known within the company. I have been flying with Virgin Atlantic for 37 years. I was working when all flights were grounded on 9/11, and I've even flown into a warzone. But this incident has broken me,' she read in a victim impact statement. 'Never in my entire career flying for 37 years have I not been sure what to do. I have had the best career in the world for 37 years. But he has taken that away from me,' she added. 8 Rizvi won the Pakistani reality show Veet Supermodel of the Year in 2012. abeeriftekhar/Instagram Virgin Atlantic supported Walsh for her bravery in speaking out during Iftikhar's court hearing. 'The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority, and we take a zero-tolerance approach to any disruptive or abusive behaviour on board our aircraft,' a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson told The Post. 'We will always work closely with the relevant authorities and will not hesitate to seek prosecution for those individuals who cause disruption onboard through unacceptable behaviour.' 'We're incredibly grateful to Angie and our cabin crew onboard who dealt with this distressing situation in a calm, courageous and professional manner. We are proud of Angie for her bravery in court and we will continue to offer her our full support.' Salman hasn't publicly commented on her husband's jail sentence.
Metro
06-08-2025
- Metro
Man jailed after threatening to 'gang rape stewardess and set her alight'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video A Virgin Atlantic passenger has been jailed after calling an air hostess a 'f***ing white Welsh c**t' and threatening to 'gang rape and set her alight'. Salman Iftikhar was on a flight from London Heathrow to Lahore when he unleashed a tirade of abuse at stewardess, Angie Walsh, and promised to blow up the Avari Lahore Hotel, where cabin crew were due to stay. Footage shows the 37-year-old repeatedly accusing the woman of being a racist and shouting,' You called me a p**i in front of everybody'. Another passenger, who filmed the shocking scenes, can be heard saying 'holy s**t' as the scene unfolded in first class. Iftikhar's wife and three children watched him chugg champagne, film the crew and eventually 'grabbing and squeezing' Ms Walsh's arm and telling her, 'You will be dead on the floor of your hotel'. Isleworth Crown Court heard that the incident on on February 7, 2023, was so bad that pilots even considered detouring the plane to Turkey. Prosecutor Abdul Kapadia detailed how the horror unfolded: 'During the first meal service, the defendant was seen helping himself to ice, leaning over the bar he was drinking at, and taking ice with his hands. 'When told to stop, the defendant became irate, and started to film cabin crew with his phone, telling them: 'Do not tell me what to do you bitch.' 'When asked by the cabin crew to return to his seat, he then said: 'Don't tell me what to do you racist f***ing bitch. I know where you are from in Cardiff.'' The pilot was then contacted, and turned the seat belt lights on, but that only made the situation worse. Kapadia said: 'The defendant then shouted, and said: 'Look at this bitch having the seat belt sign on when there was no turbulence. What the f**k is this bitch doing?' 'Iftikhar returned to his seat and called crew member Angie Walsh a 'f**king bitch.'' Once the passenger was informed that the flight could be diverted due to his behaviour, his threats did not stop. Instead, he replied: 'I don't care. F**k it, go to Turkey. I have contacts.' The court was told how his three young children were crying and pleading for him to stop, but to no avail. Kapadia revealed how Iftikhar then threatened to blow up a floor of the hotel. He added: 'The defendant knew the specific hotel, but also the hotel room numbers, and threatened the cabin crew with this. 'He told Ms Walsh: 'You will be dead on the floor of your hotel'. 'Iftikhar shouted at Ms Walsh and said: 'The white sheep s**ging b***h will be dead. The floor of your hotel will be blown up and it will disappear.' 'He told Ms Walsh: 'You will be dragged by your hair from your room and gang raped and set on fire.'' When the plane landed in Pakistan, no action was taken against Iftikhar. He was eventually arrested – more than a year later – at his £900,000 home in Iver, Buckingamshire. Ms Walsh told the court how after 37 years of flying with Virgin Atlantic, she had to take 14 months off work after the threat of being gang-raped and She said: 'I can't quite believe that one passenger has had this much of an impact on my, my job, my career and my life. 'I am a strong brave, happy stewardess, and loved my job. I am well known within the company. 'I have been flying with Virgin Atlantic for 37 years. I was working when all flights were grounded on 9/11, and I have even flown into a warzone. But this incident has broken me. 'But I don't feel strong enough anymore. I was abused for eight hours and 15 mins. It has broken me. It was a very personal attack. More Trending 'I was doing everything in my power to protect passengers and the crew from him. I felt exposed and vulnerable, especially as we were 39,000 feet in the air. There was nowhere for me to go. 'There was one moment where I felt I could not cope. I went into the cockpit and had a meltdown. I said to the captain I don't know what to do.' Ben Walker-Nolan, defending, told the court that his client was suffering from 'amnesia blood loss', which contributed to what happened. Iftikhar wept in the dock as he was sentences to 15 months behind bars. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Man faces deportation after 'lighting cigarette' on eternal flame of Tomb of Unknown Soldier MORE: Soldier suspected of shooting five others at US military base MORE: Famous actress sexually assaulted by masseur in central London parlour
NDTV
06-08-2025
- NDTV
Pakistan Businessman Jailed In London For 15 Months For Threatening To Rape Air Hostess
Salman Iftikhar, a Pakistani-origin London businessman, was sentenced to 15 months in jail for making death threats and hurling racist abuse at cabin crew. According to The New York Post, the incident happened during a flight from London's Heathrow Airport to Lahore, Pakistan, in February 2023. During the flight, Iftikhar, travelling in first class, threatened crew member Angie Walsh, saying she would be dragged from her hotel room, gang-raped, and set on fire. A passenger recorded one of his outbursts, where he repeatedly accused Ms Walsh of racism, claiming she called him a derogatory term in front of others. The incident started during the meal service on the eight-hour flight. Iftikhar, 37, was drinking champagne at the in-flight bar when he reached over the counter and scooped ice with his hands. The flight crew confronted him, asking him to return to his seat after he became intoxicated. Iftikhar became hostile, accusing the crew of racism. He yelled that she had insulted him in front of everyone. "You called me a p-ki in front of everybody," he yelled. The passenger then started filming the flight attendants and shouted at one of them, threatening her and refusing to follow instructions. "Don't tell me what to do, you racist f–king bitch. I know where you are from in Cardiff," Iftikhar screamed during the flight. The flight deck was alerted to the situation and activated the seatbelt sign to calm Iftikhar down. Airline staff reported that Iftikhar was slurring his words, becoming aggressive, and boasting about his identity. His wife attempted to intervene by talking to the flight attendants at the food bar, but Iftikhar pushed her away, telling her not to speak to them. Iftikhar then physically confronted male flight attendant Tommy Merchant, grabbing him and telling him to shut up. The situation worsened when Iftikhar threatened the crew, revealing the exact hotel room numbers where they'd be staying at the Avari Lahore Hotel. He grabbed one of the flight attendants, calling her a "f–king white Welsh c–t," before threatening to rape her. "The white sheep s–ting bitch will be dead. The floor of your hotel will be blown up, and it will disappear. You will be dragged by your hair from your room and gang-raped and set on fire," he shouted. Iftikhar was allowed to leave the plane after landing in Pakistan without being arrested. He was later arrested at his $1.2 million home in England on March 16, 2024, over a year after the incident. Iftikhar admitted to making death threats and racial harassment against the flight attendant. The attendant was left traumatised, requiring 14 months of leave from work to recover. "I am a strong, brave, happy stewardess, and I loved my job. I am well known within the company. I have been flying with Virgin Atlantic for 37 years. I was working when all flights were grounded on 9/11, and I've even flown into a warzone. But this incident has broken me. Never in my entire career flying for 37 years have I been sure what to do. I have had the best career in the world for 37 years. But he has taken that away from me," she read in a victim impact statement. Iftikhar was acquitted of assault and threats to kill flight attendant Tommy Merchant. His lawyer attributed the violent outburst to a claimed medical condition, describing it as "amnesia, blood loss." According to his LinkedIn profile, he is the director and founder of the recruitment firm Staffing Match.
Time of India
06-08-2025
- Time of India
Pakistani businessman jailed in London for threatening Virgin Atlantic airhostess with gangrape: 'You called me a...'
Pakistani-origin London businessman Salman Iftikhar has been jailed for threatening Virgin Atlantic airhostess with gangrape on a London-Lahore flight in 2023. Salman Iftikhar, a wealthy London businessman, has been jailed for 15 months for his 2023 outburst on a London-Lahore Virgin Atlantic flight, where he threatened an airhostess with gangrape, accusing her of being racist. "You called me a P*ki in front of everybody," Iftikhar told the airhostess adding that she would be dragged out of her hotel room, gangraped and set alight. On February 7, 2023, Iftikhar was flying on the Virgin Atlantic flight in first class with his wife and three children. The argument started when Iftikhar was drinking at the onboard bar and taking ice with his hands. "Mr Iftikhar was seen drinking champagne at the onboard bar, where he was talking to cabin crew," said prosecutor Abdul Kapadia. "During the defendant's first meal service, the defendant was seen helping himself to ice, leaning over bar he was drinking at, and taking ice with his hands. "When told to stop, the defendant became irate, and started to film cabin crew with his phone, telling them: 'Do not tell me what to do, you b**ch. When asked by the cabin crew to return to his seat, he then said: 'Don't tell me what to do you racist f**king b**ch. I know where you are from in Cardiff.'" by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Brigade Morgan Heights: 2/3 BHK Luxurious Flats in Chennai Brigade Morgan Heights Click Here Undo The pilot was informed about the altercation and he turned the seat belt lights on so that everyone went back to their seats. "The defendant's behaviour became worse. The cabin crew discussed a diversion to Turkey. The defendant was informed of this possible diversion, to which he replied: 'I don't care. F**k it, go to Turkey. I have contacts.' The defendant then sat down, but his aggressive behaviour continued. His wife was ashamed. His three children were also on-board, and other crew members were called to assist, but the defendant continued shouting and swearing," Kapadia told the court. "He was slurring his words, with his voice raised. He shouted at the cabin crew: 'Do you know who I am?' The defendant's wife went to the food bar and tried to talk to cabin crew, but the defendant pushed his wife away, and shouted at her not to talk to crew. A crew member stabilised the wife's arm to prevent her from falling when she was pushed," the court was told. Iftikhar also threatened to blow up the floor of the Avari Lahore Hotel, where the cabin crew were due to stay. "You will be dead on the floor of your hotel," he threatened the crew and then he turned towards the airhostess and said: "You will be dragged by your hair from your room and gang raped and set on fire". His three young children were crying and pleading for him to stop. When the flight landed in Lahore, no action was taken against Iftikhar, but he was arrested on March 16, 2024, from his home in Iver, Buckinghamshire. Iftikhar has six previous convictions arising from 15 offences, including common assault in 2004 and drink driving in 2008. According to his LinkedIn profile, he is the director and founder of the recruitment firm Staffing Match. The air hostess told the court she had to take 14 months off work as she was traumatized by the threat of being gangraped.
