Man who forced his way onto KLM flight to Curaçao banned from flying for 30 years
KLM has handed a 30-year flying ban to a man who unlawfully boarded a plane at Schiphol Airport on Boxing Day in an attempt to fly to Curaçao without a valid ticket. Although he held a legitimate ticket for a KLM flight to London, the man attempted to evade security to instead board a flight to the Dutch Caribbean island, NH Nieuws reported.
He had tried a similar stunt shortly before, resulting in his arrest and a fine. On top of that, KLM had already blacklisted him for four years following an earlier incident in which he reportedly assaulted a check-in staff member.
The 40-year-old man from Veenendaal explained that he had missed his flight to Curaçao and tried to catch “the next plane” to the same destination, the regional news outlet reported at the time. Witnesses reported seeing him sprint onto the aircraft unchecked, and the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee detained him on board shortly after the crew sounded the alarm.
Following his arrest and questioning on the day of the incident, the man was temporarily released pending the Public Prosecution Service’s decision on whether to pursue further legal action.
Reports indicate that he was also handed the man a 750-euro fine along with a 24-hour conditionally suspended community service order.
The breach forced the plane to be evacuated for a security inspection, with all passengers required to pass through security once more, resulting in a 90-minute delay.
The incident underscores the stringent control responsibilities airlines must uphold. KLM was recently fined by the Amsterdam Court of Appeal in a separate case involving a passenger who boarded without the necessary visa, reinforcing that the airline remains fully accountable for passenger access checks.
