The man, a Briton, is slated to be charged on March 17 for using abusive words against an airline staff member and mischief causing destruction to property.ST PHOTO: KUA CHEE SIONG
SINGAPORE - He had already boarded the plane when he realised his phone was missing. After being told he could not leave the gate hold room to look for it, a 57-year-old man allegedly verbally abused a female airline employee and damaged the wall of an aerobridge at Changi Airport by kicking it.
The man, a Briton, is slated to be charged on March 17 for using abusive words against an airline staff member and mischief causing destruction to property, the police said in a statement on March 16.
The police said the incident happened on March 8.
Police investigations revealed that the man had already boarded his flight from Singapore to London when he realised that he had misplaced his mobile phone.
Hoping to locate it at the airport lounge where was at earlier, he disembarked and approached a female airline staff member in the gate hold room at Changi Airport Terminal 3 for assistance.
She contacted staff at the airport lounge, and was informed that no phone had been found. She communicated this to the man, and, as the flight’s departure time was approaching, informed him that leaving the gate hold room would result in him being offloaded.
The man then allegedly responded with a slew of abusive and derogatory remarks. As he turned to walk back to the aircraft, he also allegedly kicked a wall panel of the aerobridge, causing damage.
He was subsequently offloaded from the flight, and the Airport Police Division was alerted.
The man will face two charges in court: using abusive words, which carries a fine of up to $5,000 or imprisonment for up to six months, or both; and committing mischief causing destruction to property, which carries a jail term of up to two years, a fine, or both.
Assistant Commissioner of Police M. Malathi, Commander of the Airport Police Division, said that the police do not tolerate any form of harassment or abusive behaviour toward airport and airline staff as it disrupts airport operations and jeopardises the safety of the staff and their ability to perform their duties effectively.
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