A 42-year-old Indian national named Kolathu James Leo was charged on April 1, 2025, with several offenses following his behavior on a Singapore-bound Scoot flight from Sydney, Australia.
The incident took place on February 27 when Kolathu, reportedly intoxicated, shouted and behaved aggressively on the flight. Between 11:59 AM and 12:10 PM, he tried to detach a seat pocket and repeatedly hit the seat in front of him, disturbing other passengers.
When cabin crew attempted to intervene, Kolathu grabbed a male flight attendant’s right wrist between 12:35 PM and 12:40 PM. Around 5:00 PM, he threatened to kill the crew member.
The Singapore Police Force received an alert about the disturbance at 6:55 AM. Reports indicate Kolathu also grabbed a passenger seated next to him during the incident.
The flight crew warned him that the aircraft would return to Australia if his behavior continued. Only after this warning did he become compliant. He was then placed under restraints for the remainder of the journey.
Upon landing at Changi Airport, officers from the Airport Police Division arrested him immediately.
Kolathu faces three charges: criminal intimidation, using criminal force on a flight attendant, and being intoxicated on board the plane, which jeopardized good order and discipline.
He is scheduled to plead guilty on April 22. If convicted of threatening to kill another person, he could be jailed for up to 10 years and fined. For using criminal force on the crew member, he faces up to three months in jail and a fine up to $1,500. The charge of being intoxicated on board a flight carries a potential jail term of up to one year and a fine up to $20,000.
