Drunken passenger ordered to pay $21,000 in jet fuel costs for rerouted flight

A passenger on a WestJet flight was ordered to pay more than $21,000 in fuel costs last week after his drunken behavior caused the plane to return to Calgary, Alberta, on Jan. 4, according to news reports.

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David Stephen Young, 44, from the United Kingdom, boarded a flight in Calgary for London but became belligerent with a passenger and the flight crew, forcing the plane to turn around about an hour into the trip, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

Young pleaded guilty to failing to comply with safety instructions and resisting arrest at a court hearing, the CBC reported, after spending a week behind bars shortly after the incident.

According to the news network, the pilot had to dump 20,000 pounds of fuel to land safely. The prosecutor in the case requested $65,000 in restitution, but the judge settled on the cost of the wasted fuel at $21,260.68.

The CBC reported WestJet's total losses, including fuel costs and compensation for passengers, could add up to more than $200,000.

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