Drunken Flight Crew Beats Passenger

Air rage is not all that uncommon, and to be quite honest, air travel in the last 20 years has devolved to a level of barbarism that normally one associated with the Royal Navy of 1800. When passengers act up, it is usually the result of poor manners, quick tempers and industry-related provocation. However, when the people serving the drinks and food take it upon themselves to beat up a paying customer, there isn’t a whole lot left to say.

The incident happened on a flight from Moscow to Nizhnevartovsk, a city in Siberia. The destination might be enough to set some folks off, but there was more. The flight was under the Aeroflot brand, but a spokeswoman for the airline pointed out that Aviaenergo has contracted with Aeroflot to carry passengers on some routes. The plane and the flight crew belonged to Aviaenergo. Two of Aviaenergo’s flight attendants seem to have been drunk, and one of the passengers, known only as A. Chernopup, complained. He appears to have wanted sober service – without the food winding up in the aisles.

In response, he was given the sort of treatment usually reserved for opponents of Evander Holyfield. Last the Russian media heard of him, he was visiting a hospital for treatment of a black eye and for further examination. A criminal investigation and a corporate inquiry are underway. The entire crew has received a suspension.

Boozing in Russia is not cute, and there seems to be little the authorities can do to curb it. The life expectancy in what was once the Soviet Union has dropped, not in small part due to alcohol abuse. It would be a triumph of faith over experience to think there will not be similar incidents in the future – or worse involving a drunken pilot.

So, as the summer vacation season peaks, this episode provides a bit of context. One may be searched by machine and by humans, one may be forced to remove shoes and clothing, one may be forced to sit on the runway for hours. Still, the chances of being beaten up by the flight crew remain small.


© Copyright 2004 by The Kensington Review, J. Myhre, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent.


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