LONDON— A Virgin Atlantic (VS) passenger has been sentenced to 15 months in prison after unleashing a violent, racist tirade aboard a flight from London Heathrow (LHR), UK to Lahore (LHE), Pakistan.
The passenger, 37-year-old Salman Iftikhar, made repeated death threats toward a flight attendant over the course of the 8-hour journey. The incident forced the crew to consider a diversion and was captured on video.
Photo: Aero Icarus | FlickrVirgin Atlantic Passenger Jailed
The February 7, 2023, incident occurred aboard a Virgin Atlantic flight from London Heathrow to Lahore, Pakistan. Iftikhar, heavily intoxicated, began acting aggressively after helping himself to ice from the onboard bar.
When cabin crew intervened, he launched into a sustained, profanity-laced verbal attack targeting a female flight attendant.
He used racist slurs, filmed the crew without consent, and refused to comply with instructions.
At one point, he referred to the flight attendant as a “racist b****,” then escalated to making explicit threats of sexual violence and murder, stating, “You will be dragged by your hair from your hotel room, gang raped and set on fire.”
He claimed to know where she would be staying, including specific hotel floor and room details.
Cabin crew reported the escalating threats to the cockpit. A diversion to Turkey was seriously considered, but ultimately not executed. Iftikhar, aware of this, responded chillingly: “Go to Turkey. I have contacts.”
Photo: By Afpwong – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44349114Legal Outcome and Criminal History
Following the flight, authorities arrested Iftikhar at his U.K. residence on March 16, 2024. He was charged and later pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment and making threats to kill. Charges related to threats made toward another crew member were dropped.
His prior criminal record, including 15 previous offenses—such as drunk driving, assault, and drug possession—was taken into account during sentencing. The court also noted his history of substance abuse. As a result, he received a 15-month custodial sentence.
The Virgin Atlantic flight between London Heathrow (LHR) and Lahore (LHE) was discontinued on April 30, 2023, nearly three months after the incident. While the route termination was unrelated to the onboard threats, it marked the end of the carrier’s short-lived service to Pakistan.
Virgin Atlantic commended the professionalism of its crew during the incident. The airline stressed its zero-tolerance policy toward abusive or threatening behavior and confirmed it had cooperated fully with law enforcement throughout the investigation.
Photo: Clément AlloingSimilar Incident
Nine American teenagers were arrested after causing a serious disruption onboard Virgin Atlantic flight VS008 from Los Angeles (LAX) to London Heathrow (LHR).
The group, aged 17 to 18, allegedly used fake IDs to buy alcohol before the transatlantic flight and then engaged in disorderly conduct, prompting the crew to alert authorities mid-flight.
According to Virgin Atlantic, the incident occurred on July 14 during a scheduled long-haul flight from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to London Heathrow (LHR).
Cabin crew onboard flight VS008 became concerned when a group of nine teens began behaving aggressively and ignoring safety instructions. The group had reportedly consumed alcohol obtained using fake identification before boarding.
Witnesses described the scene as chaotic, with some passengers reporting shouting, running, and other disruptive behavior throughout the cabin. Virgin Atlantic staff attempted to de-escalate the situation during the flight, but ultimately contacted the London air traffic authorities to request police assistance upon landing.
The Metropolitan Police boarded the aircraft immediately after arrival and detained the individuals on suspicion of non-compliance with crew instructions and endangering the aircraft. Authorities confirmed that all nine were arrested without incident and were taken into custody at the airport.
Photo: Pexels and Compounded by Aviation A2ZElectronic Travel Authorisations Revoked
UK Border Force officials revoked the teenagers’ Electronic Travel Authorisations (ETAs), effectively barring them from entering the country in the future.
Despite the absence of formal charges, the revocation serves as an administrative measure to prevent repeat incidents involving the same individuals.
Sources indicated that the group was en route to various summer camps in Europe. Some of the teenagers reportedly come from high-profile families, including at least two linked to professional sports figures in the United States.
Following the incident, Virgin Atlantic initially refused to book return flights for the teens due to the severity of the onboard disruption. However, the airline later coordinated their return under strict conditions, including splitting the group across separate flights and informing their parents.
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