20 hours ago
'A drunk man sprayed me in the face with aftershave as I slept on an Emirates flight and this is all I've been offered as compensation'
A pensioner claims a drunk passenger sprayed him in the face with aftershave as slept on an Emirates flight. Anthony Harrop, 76, claims the drama unfolded as he flew to Thailand with his son.
Mr Harrop flew out from Manchester Airport last December. He was on a subsequent flight from Dubai to Bangkok when he claims the incident unfolded.
Emirates bosses said an investigation into Mr Harrop's claims was undertaken, but that 'no evidence of disruptive behaviour or excessive alcohol consumption' was uncovered.
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"The flight from Manchester to Dubai was fantastic," Mr Harrop, from Macclesfield, told the Manchester Evening News. "We got the flight to Bangkok and there was a guy on the plane.
"This gentleman kept rabbiting on, I couldn't understand half of what he was going on about. He didn't allow me to sleep. He said 'nobody sleeps when he's on a plane'.
"Eventually, I managed to drop off, only to be awakened and startled by stuff being sprayed in my face. It was fortunately aftershave, but it could have been anything. He sprayed it directly in my face."
The passenger was moved to another seat, Mr Harrop - an ex-solider - said he was offered air miles as compensation, but turned the offer down.
"That's basically the equivalent of £54, which is nothing," he added.
A spokesperson for Emirates said: "Emirates takes the safety of its passengers and crew extremely seriously.
"Following a thorough investigation into Mr Harrop's account on 27 December 2024, we found no evidence of disruptive behaviour or excessive alcohol consumption during the flight from the passenger in question.
"Emirates has offered Mr Harrop Skywards Miles as a goodwill gesture, and we consider this matter closed."
