Norfolk man drunk and abusive on Gatwick flight to Bangkok

A Norfolk man was arrested for being drunk and abusive on a Norse Atlantic Airways flight to Bangkok <i>(Image: Gatwick Airport)</i>
A Norfolk man was arrested for being drunk and abusive on a Norse Atlantic Airways flight to Bangkok (Image: Gatwick Airport)
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A man from Norfolk attacked and threatened the crew during a drunken air-rage incident on a holiday flight to Thailand.

Thomas Cox was arrested at Gatwick after he was found to have been heavily intoxicated on a flight to Bangkok.

Flying with Norse Atlantic Airways, the 28-year-old contravened the Air Navigation Order 2016, which states it is illegal to enter an aircraft drunk or be drunk on an aircraft.

He also assaulted and threatened four people while being dealt with during the incident aboard the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner plane on January 5 this year.

Cox, of The Street in Matlaske, between Aylsham and Holt, pleaded guilty at Crawley Magistrates' Court to four counts of assault by beating and using threatening, abusive and insulting words and behaviour to cause harassment, alarm or distress.

He was given unconditional bail until a hearing on November 11 after his sentencing was adjourned to allow the CPS to decide whether they will proceed with another charge of racially aggravated abuse.

The most recent figures show UK airlines reported 1,028 air rage incidents, which is nearly triple the 373 cases recorded in 2019 before the pandemic.

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