A 42-year-old man, Kolathu James Leo, was sentenced to five weeks in jail by a Singapore court after an alcohol-fueled outburst on a Scoot flight from Sydney to Singapore endangered fellow passengers and crew.
Kolathu, who was en route to India after a family bereavement, drank at least four shots of whisky before boarding Scoot flight TR3 on February 27. During the flight, he behaved aggressively—harassing nearby passengers by shouting and pushing, ignoring crew instructions, and even threatening a crew member’s life while grabbing his wrist.
Despite being issued a formal warning letter mid-flight, Kolathu crumpled it without reading. His increasingly erratic actions—like slamming seats and trying to remove parts of the plane’s interior—prompted the crew to restrain him physically after moving the harassed passengers to safety.
Upon landing at Changi Airport, Singapore police arrested Kolathu. His blood alcohol level was recorded at 96mg per 100ml, well above safe limits. He pleaded guilty to boarding while intoxicated, a serious offence under Singapore’s Air Navigation Act. Two additional charges—for using criminal force and issuing death threats—were considered during sentencing.
District Judge Janet Wang, in her remarks, emphasized the seriousness of “air rage,” noting the high safety expectations in aviation and the limited options for dealing with violent passengers mid-flight. She said Kolathu showed “a sustained pattern of violent conduct and defiance of warnings.”
This case underscores Singapore’s zero-tolerance stance on disruptive in-flight behavior, especially where passenger and crew safety is at risk.