Rowdy celebs’ sense of entitlement takes flight

When British supermodel Kate Moss was met by police as she disembarked from an EasyJet flight in Luton on Sunday, after a holiday in Turkey, no arrest or charges were brought. All we know is that she was “disruptive”.

In a statement, EasyJet said it “does not tolerate disruptive behaviour and will always report any incidents to the authorities”.

A police spokesperson said: “The passenger had been reported as being disruptive on the flight. Officers attended and escorted the passenger from the plane. No formal complaints were made against her and she was not arrested.”

Apart from the obvious question — what was a woman who made £4.6m (€6.2m) last year doing on EasyJet? — one wonders what “disruptive” might mean. Clearly nothing too eye-popping, as there were no legal consequences. But still. Was she smoking in the loos? Annoying other passengers? Being unpleasant to the cabin crew?

People — particularly the famous and wealthy — have a history of bad behaviour on planes. In 2008, Moss’s fellow model and south Londoner, Naomi Campbell, was escorted from a plane before it even took off. In keeping with her preferred method of assault, she then thumped a police officer with her phone.

Virgin Airlines crew made a complaint in 2011 about ex-Westlife member Brian McFadden on a flight to Sydney — he was smoking in first class, apparently — but like Kate Moss, he was not charged. Unlike singer Cranberries Dolores O’Riordan, who is currently facing charges of assault on police officers during an air rage incident last November, and later resisting arrest at Shannon Airport. She later apologised for hurting the foot of an Aer Lingus stewardess.

Dolores O’Riordan

O’Riordan’s Footgate differs from Peter Buck’s Yogurtgate in that no food was hurled. In 2002, REM’s guitarist was prosecuted by British Airways when he was disruptive on a flight from Seattle to Heathrow, throwing yogurt over cabin crew, trying to steal a knife, and knocking over a trolley. He’d had a sleeping pill and a “a small amount of alcohol”, and his lawyer used the defence of “non-insane automatism”. He was cleared.

Sconegate saw Cathay Pacific give former Oasis singer Liam Gallagher a lifetime ban from its airline in 1998 after he swore, smoked, and threw scones at cabin crew. Rock n’ roll.

Liam Gallagher

Conrad Hilton Jr, younger brother of Paris, was in court in February for Peasantgate, accused of disrupting a longhaul British Airways flight by allegedly threatening to kill cabin crew and calling the other passengers “peasants”. When confronted by crew, hotel empire scion Hilton allegedly said: “I could get you all fired in five minutes. I know your boss. My father will pay this out, he has done it before. Dad paid $300,000 last time.”

The disruption continued for approximately 10 hours before Hilton fell asleep and was handcuffed to his seat. His lawyer later used the same defence as Buck’s, citing the effects of a sleeping pill, as he pleaded guilty to assault.

The entourage of rapper Snoop Dogg caused a major brawl at Heathrow in 2006, resulting in seven police officers being injured, and Snoop being denied a UK visa for several years.

Actor Gerard Depardieu at least tried to show better manners when he peed on the floor of a plane. On a 2011 flight from Paris to Dublin, after being told to remain in his seat and having shouts of “I need to piss” ignored, he peed in a plastic bottle but missed. Despite offers to clean it up, he was marched off the plane.

Gerard Depardieu

However, the prize for worst incident of passenger disruption in aviation history has not yet been surpassed by the individual behind Poogate.

In 1995, an American investment banker called Gerard Finnerman, returning from a business trip, was charged with attacking United Airlines stewardesses in first class, who had refused to give him any more alcohol.

He then climbed on top of the food trolley, removed his clothing, and defecated in full view of his fellow first class passengers, who included the president of Portugal. All food and drinks services had to be suspended on the long-haul flight. Finnerman’s fine included having the plane cleaned and reimbursing the ticket costs of all his fellow passengers.

Which rather puts Kate Moss and whatever she got up to on EasyJet into perspective.