Man attempted to headbutt pilot on transatlantic flight

An unruly passenger tried to headbutt the captain of a transatlantic aircraft that was forced to divert to Shannon airport yesterday.

At Ennis District Court yesterday, Judge Patrick Durcan said 35-year-old Australian Damian Kington “had endangered the safety of the crew and his fellow passengers” on the British Airways service to London.

Kington was one of 30 passengers on board the business class 32-seater service between New York’s JFK and London City.