And other travel news you may have missed.
This week in travel, we’ve uncovered several stories that might have flown under your radar. Among them: an Olympic swimmer is banned from Singapore after shoplifting; a dancing passenger causes an aborted take-off; and an actress is fined for inadvertently taking flowers into Australia.
Dive into these and more as we examine the latest in travel news.
NO.1
INDIAN ACTRESS FINED $1,300 FOR CARRYING FLOWERS TO AUSTRALIA
Malayalam actress Navya Nair recently learned how strict the Australian border forces are about their biosecurity. The actress traveled from India to Melbourne aboard Singapore Airlines with a gajira–a garland of jasmine–in her hair, and another in her carry-on. Gajra is a common decorative hair accessory for Indians, often worn on special occasions. Nair, who was visiting Melbourne to celebrate the festival of Onam, received the garland from her father, but she failed to declare it at the airport. Melbourne airport security fined her AUD 1,980 ($1,300) for the error.
Nair said that what she did was against the law, and ignorance is no excuse. In a reel she posted on Instagram, Nair is seen wearing gajra in her hair as she goes through the airport and takes her seat on the flight.
Australia does not allow plants and seeds to be imported without proper permits to minimize the risk of diseases and pests from entering the country. If someone brings items for personal use, they must be declared on the passenger form. Failure to do so can lead to hefty penalties.
NO.2
OFF-DUTY PILOT PLEADS GUILTY TO ATTEMPTING TO SHUT OFF PLANE ENGINE
On Oct. 22, 2023, an off-duty pilot in the cockpit jump seat tried to shut off the engines of a commercial flight. Last week, Joseph Emerson was convicted after pleading no contest to first-degree endangering an aircraft and reckless endangerment in Oregon state court. He was sentenced to 50 days in jail, five years’ probation, 664 hours of community service, and a $60,559 fine. He has already served his time in prison.
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He also pleaded guilty to the federal charge of interference with crew and will be sentenced in November.
The Horizon flight was traveling from Everett, Washington, to San Francisco and had 84 people on board. Emerson told the pilot that he was not okay before reaching for a red handle that would have cut off the engines. He was stopped by the pilot and co-pilot, removed from the cockpit, and the flight was diverted to Portland, Oregon. Emerson admitted to law enforcement that he had consumed mushrooms and also struggled with depression.
NO.3
TWO ITALIAN SWIMMERS FACE A BAN FROM SINGAPORE AFTER SHOPLIFTING
Benedetta Pilato, a 2024 Olympic bronze medalist, and Chiara Tarantino were detained after shoplifting at Singapore’s Changi Airport. The two swimmers had competed in the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore and then traveled on holiday to Bali. Upon their return to Changi, Tarantino shoplifted three bottles of perfume and hid them in Pilato’s suitcase. The two were caught by security and detained. The Italian embassy intervened on their behalf, and they received a warning from a judge and were banned from entering Singapore. They have since returned to Italy.
Tarantino has not spoken publicly about the incident. However, Pilato posted about it on Instagram, mentioning that she cooperated with the local authorities. “I never intended to commit inappropriate gestures, and those who know me know how much I care about sport values, fairness, and personal honesty,” she expressed.
Related: What Should You Do If You Are Arrested Abroad?
NO.4
LISBON FUNICULAR CRASH KILLS 16
In the Portuguese capital of Lisbon, a funicular crashed on Wednesday, killing 16 people and injuring 21. Opened in 1885, Elevador da Glória is one of three funiculars operating in the city and carries passengers up and down steep slopes in three minutes. These yellow railway cars are popular tourist attractions, and 11 foreign nationals (three from the U.K., two Canadians, two South Koreans, one American, one Swiss, one Ukrainian, and one French) were among the dead.
A funicular operates as a pulley; one car descends while the other goes uphill. The cars have overhead electric cables that power the pulley system. Before the deadly crash, the cables connecting the two carriages snapped. The carriage was traveling at 37 mph when it crashed into a building. The second carriage at the bottom of the hill slid back down abruptly.
The other two funiculars were also suspended as authorities investigate the incident.
NO.5
WOMAN REMOVED FROM FLIGHT FOR DRUNK-DANCING
On a flight from Sydney to Queenstown, New Zealand, the pilot had to abort takeoff after an allegedly drunk passenger started dancing in the aisle. The 50-year-old from New Zealand disrupted the flight in July after becoming intoxicated and ignoring safety instructions. The Australian Federal Police intervened and removed her from the flight when she remained aggressive and noncompliant. She returned to New Zealand the following day, but now faces charges in Australia. The maximum penalty is a fine of up to AUD 16,000 ($10,000) and two years’ imprisonment.
