This article is from page 13 of the 2006-04-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
STIFFER penalties should be imposed on people who commit air rage on board flights, according to pilots’ union IALPA.
IALPA (Irish Airline Pilots’ Association) spokesman Conor Nolan was speaking to The Clare People in the wake of a one month sentence being imposed on a Polish man, for his antics on board a Centralwings flight into Shannon last Friday week.
Szczepan Drzewiecki, drank almost a full litre bottle of vodka, before hitting out at other passengers.
He tried to break the window of the plane, as it flew from Warsaw to Shannon.
The father-of-three, who was travelling to Ireland to start work in the construction industry, pleaded guilty to three offences.
He admitted being intoxicated on board the plane, engaging in abusive behaviour on the plane and failing to cease engaging in abusive behaviour, when requested to do so by a crew member, contrary to the Air Navigation and Transport Act, on March 24.
The Inspector, Tom Kennedy, said this case was “above and beyond the circumstances outlined in previous cases.”
The court was told the maximum term that could be imposed – for the offences before the court – was four months.
“Why didn’t he get four? That would be our question. The penalties there should be imposed,” said Mr Nolan.
“There doesn’t seem to be a sufficient deterrent to people to do this [commit air rage],” he said.
He also said “more specific aviation legislation” should be enforced, to address the issue.
“A judge has to deal with an air rage prosecution, as he would some row outside a chipper and it doesn’t necessarily represent the seriousness of it.
“There have been serious prosecutions, but they have not led to air rage convictions per se”.
He said that quite often, alcohol was consumed before boarding an aircraft.
“This needs to be looked at. We want everybody in the chain to be vigilant at all times. It’s an issue that needs to be addressed industrywide,” he said.
This was echoed by Drzewiecki’s solicitor, William Chair, who told the court that while he didn’t wish to excuse his client’s behaviour in any way, that “airline crews should be looking out for signs such as my client displayed.”
Centralwings, which commenced its route between Shannon and Warsaw in November, declined to comment on the incident, despite requests from The Clare People.