SINGAPORE: A 57-year-old man will be charged in court on Monday (Mar 17) for allegedly using abusive words against an airline staff and causing destruction to property at Changi Airport.
The authorities were alerted on Mar 8 to an incident of a man shouting and being rude to a female airline staff at Terminal 3, and damaging a wall in a gate hold room, police said on Sunday.
Investigations revealed that the British man realised that he had misplaced his mobile phone after boarding the aircraft for his flight from Singapore to London.
He then left the aircraft, hoping to search for it at the airport lounge he was at earlier, read the news release.
A female airline staff at the gate hold room assisted to check with the airport lounge staff and informed him that no mobile phone was found there.
As it was close to the scheduled departure time of the flight, she informed him that leaving the gate hold room would result in him being offloaded from the flight.
The man then allegedly responded with “a slew of abusive and derogatory words”, said police.
As he walked away towards the aircraft, he “kicked and damaged a wall panel of the aerobridge”.
The man was subsequently offloaded from his flight and officers from the Airport Police Division were called in, police said.
“Any form of harassment or abusive behaviour toward airport and airline staff is not tolerated as it disrupts airport operations and jeopardises the safety of the staff and their ability to perform their duties effectively,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police M Malathi.
“The police take a serious view of such acts and will not hesitate to take action against those who do so,” the commander of the Airport Police Division added.
For using abusive words against a person, the man faces a fine of up to S$5,000 (US$3,700), a jail term of not more than six months, or both.
For committing mischief causing destruction to property, he faces a jail term which may extend to two years, a fine, or both.
