Man sentenced for assaulting attendant on flight from Newark airport
Authorities say the Belgian national grabbed, shook and yelled at the flight attendant.
More Stories
A Belgian national was sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution for assaulting a flight attendant on a flight from Newark Liberty International Airport to Switzerland.
Jan Daeninck, 43, of Belgium, was sentenced to 10 months in prison and one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay more than $73,000 in restitution.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the incident took place March 31, 2024, when Daeninck was a passenger aboard a Swiss Airlines flight. Shortly after takeoff, authorities said Daeninck “walked up to a female flight attendant, grabbed both of her breasts with his hands, shook her and began yelling at her, threatening to kill her.” He then attempted to get into the cockpit by kicking and banging on the door before punching a male flight attendant in the head.
The flight crew detained Daeninck for the rest of the flight, but the flight was forced to turn around and land back in Newark.
“The traveling public should feel confident the FBI takes aviation safety seriously,” FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy said. “When a passenger attempts to breach a cockpit or assaults crew members, they are not just attacking individuals; they are threatening the safety of every single person on board.”
