An Emirati pilot who was off-duty while travelling on an Emirates flight from Madrid to Dubai got drunk and threatened to have the aircraft shoot down with an Iraqi missile.

He is currently being tried at the Dubai Court of First Instance for a whole lot of charges including drinking, threatening to have the aircraft down by an Iraqi missile, assaulting an air hostess, damaging parts of the plane and gesturing indecently in front of passengers.

An air hostess gave her testimony in court on Wednesday

Recounting the incident, an Uzbek stewardess said that she feared for her life when the pilot got drunk and threatened to blow up the aircraft.

“The plane took off from Madrid and was bound for Dubai. The suspect had been behaving in an unruly and troublesome manner. He had taken four cans of beer without permission. When we were cruising above Iraq, he said that he had called his friend in Baghdad and asked him to shoot down the plane with a missile. He shouted that we were all going to die. After having been restrained and made to take his seat, he told me that a VIP will be waiting for us at the airport and will have us all fired. I felt scared for myself and my family and was also afraid of losing my job. I still am.”

Recommended

WATCH: The Burj Khalifa Lit Up For Lebanon Last NightSalik Recorded A Whopping AED822 Million Net Profit In 9 MonthsBella Hadid And Huda Kattan Had A Meet Cute In Dubai

Uzbek Air Hostess

Meanwhile, her co-worker and cabin supervisor, a Romanian witness backed her claims by recounting how the suspect also used cuss words and made an indecent gesture on the flight.

“Four staff from the UAE Embassy in Spain escorted him to the plane. I was told that he could not stay anymore in Madrid because of residency issues. When he first walked into the plane, he addressed me jokingly by saying ‘I haven’t smoked in 15 minutes’. I replied that smoking is not permitted on the plane. His response was that he is a pilot himself and knows the rules and regulations. He acted rowdily and ran towards the aircraft’s kitchen, took two beers without permission. He disturbed the passengers, shouting at them and cursing. He also threatened to kill me and claimed that he would blow up the plane because he was carrying explosives. He headed to the washroom that was occupied and banged the door. The woman who was inside came out petrified and returned to her seat.”

Romanian Cabin Supervisor

The drunk man remained restrained for more than five hours until he was arrested by the Dubai Police upon landing.

The case has been adjourned till October 24.