A drunken aeroplane passenger who was jailed after screaming "we're all going to die" on a flight has now been banned for life from flying with the airline involved.

Kiran Jagdev was jailed this week after a court heard of a catalogue of bad behaviour that a judge said required a "deterrent sentence".

The 41-year-old had previously blamed the Jet2 flight crew for selling her more alcohol as she flew back to East Midlands Airport from Tenerife, where she had gone on holiday alone.

Earlier this year, prosecutor Zoe Lee told Leicester Magistrates' Court that Jagdev had drank between six and eight beers before she boarded the plane, and drank four to six glasses of wine on the flight.



Kiran Jagdev outside Leicester Magistrates' Court

Mrs Lee said that Jagdev started shouting when the plane was circling over East Midlands Airport.


It came after Jagdev continually kicked the seat in front of her, in which a 15-year-old autistic girl was sitting, during the four-hour flight.

Jagdev's unruly behaviour caused the girl's mother so much stress, she had a seizure on the flight, the court heard.

The defendant also touched inappropriately on off-duty policeman who offered to sit next to her and assist cabin crew.

Jagdev later pleaded guilty to being drunk on an aircraft, and was sentenced at Leicester Crown Court on Thursday.

Now Jet2 has condemned Jagdev's behaviour as 'totally unacceptable', and banned her for life from flying with the airline.

Jet2 wants to stamp out unruly passengers

A spokesperson for the airline said: "Another court ruling against disruptive passenger behaviour has been handed down, after a passenger who confronted and abused other customers, and even kicked the seat of a child, was jailed at Leicester Crown Court.

"Kiran Jagdev, of Leicester, displayed a continued pattern of totally unacceptable behaviour on our Tenerife to East Midlands flight in January this year.

"Despite the intervention of an off-duty police officer, our highly-trained crew were left with no choice other than to call for police assistance upon arrival."

Jet2 managing director Phil Ward said: “It is very clear that drinking to excess, including the illicit consumption of duty free alcohol on the aircraft, contributed significantly to this behaviour."

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He said that was why the airline was calling for measures to better control the sale and consumption of alcohol purchased at airports.

Mr Ward added: “I would like to pay tribute to both our crew and the police for the way they handled this incident.

"I can assure customers that as a family-friendly airline we will not under any circumstances tolerate this behaviour, and Ms Jagdev has been banned from flying with Jet2 for life.”

Prosecutor Joey Kwong told the crown court how Jagdev, of Caledine Road, New Parks, "continued to ask cabin crew for a drink and they continued to refuse her and she was issued with an Air Navigation Order".

After being refused more alcohol by cabin crew, Jagdev then brought her own alcohol out of her bag and began to drink that.

"An off-duty police officer then offered to sit next to her and assist cabin crew," Mr Kwong said.

"He said the conversation was initially pleasant, but then she began to touch him inappropriately and made vulgar remarks.

"The police officer refused her advances and she became abusive towards him."

As the flight began its approach to East Midlands Airport , high winds prevented the aeroplane from landing first time.

When the plane began to circle, Jagdev repeatedly shouted, "We're all going to die", and kept standing up and trying to leave.

When the plane landed, she was immediately arrested by police and then became abusive towards immigration staff.

In her police interview when she was sober she had described herself as "7 out of 10 drunk" while on the plane.

She is also known to have an alcohol dependency and was described to have a "troubled background".

What the judge said

Jailing her for six months, Judge Philip Head told Jagdev: "When you boarded the plane in Tenerife to fly back to East Midlands Airport, you were drunk, so much so that you had to be helped into your seat.

"The effect you had on other passengers must have been dreadful, but the worst was yet to come.

"As the pilot was unable to put the craft down on the approach, that triggered a further foul-mouthed tirade where you shouted 'we're all going to die' for about 10 minutes.

"It is not easy to contemplate the effect of what you were doing doing to other passengers in a stressful situation.

"When you were sober in your police interview, you blamed the crew for selling you more alcohol, but I reject this.

Kiran Jagdev outside Leicester Magistrates' Court

"You are the author of your own and other people's misfortune.

"This was a dreadful experience for all those who were exposed to your behaviour and it culminated when the landing was aborted.

"This demands a deterrent sentence so people who travel by air and get drunk will know there are consequences."

Jagdev also has nine previous convictions, and five days before her flight home while in Tenerife she was charged with assault and given a suspended sentence before coming back to the UK.

Defending, Harbinder Lally, said: "There is no excuse or justification whatsoever and it is not at all understandable.

"She was intoxicated before she got on the plane itself and the only person the finger of blame can be pointed at is Ms Jagdev herself.

"She accepts that now and knows there is no excuse of justification for it.

"She simply wants to get back on track and wants to get professional assistance and she is working to do that."