A British Airways flight attendant who repeatedly ordered an unruly passenger to 'sit down' on a packed flight from Heathrow to Las Vegas has had her words turned into a drum and bass anthem by a DJ who witnessed the incident. The passenger, later identified as 31-year-old Emmet Moynihan from Cork, Ireland, was arrested and charged after the plane was forced to abort takeoff.
Chaos on BA275
The incident unfolded on Thursday, August 6, aboard British Airways flight BA275, which was carrying more than 300 passengers. As the Airbus A350 approached the runway for takeoff, Moynihan, who appeared intoxicated, became agitated and refused to remain in his seat. A female crew member stepped in to calm him, but he ignored her repeated instructions to 'stay seated, sir' and 'listen to instructions,' instead hurling abuse at staff and fellow passengers.
Video captured by DJ Bou's tour manager shows the attendant warning Moynihan: 'If I have to tell you again, I will be restraining you, sir, if you do not stay seated.' Despite the warning, the man continued to cause disruption, forcing the crew to abort takeoff with seconds to spare. Armed police boarded the aircraft and escorted Moynihan off the plane.
DJ turns confrontation into art
DJ Bou, who was traveling in business class—where tickets can cost up to £7,000—was on his way to a gig in Las Vegas. He later told followers that he had hoped to sleep but 'all I could hear was some drunken idiot.' Instead, he used the flight's downtime to sample the flight attendant's firm commands into a drum and bass track, completing the remix during the over-10-hour flight.
Before landing in Nevada, DJ Bou had already invited the attendant to his gig. She appeared later that evening, performing the track live behind the decks. Sharing the video on Instagram, DJ Bou praised her, saying: 'Fair play to the air hostess here, because she absolutely held it down.' He added that the airline should 'give her a raise.'
Public praise and legal aftermath
The video quickly went viral, with commenters hailing the attendant as 'an absolute hero' and 'fearless.' One user, @tjalife, wrote: 'I hope she gets all the recognition she deserves.'
A British Airways spokesperson told Metro: 'Disruptive or abusive behaviour is never tolerated on board, and the safety of our customers and crew is our highest priority. When these incidents occur, the appropriate action will always be taken.'
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that officers were called to Heathrow at around 5:30pm on Thursday following reports of a disruptive passenger. 'The plane returned to the terminal to allow officers to board the plane,' a spokesperson said. Moynihan was charged on Friday, August 7, with being drunk on an aircraft and disobeying the orders of the captain. He has been bailed to appear at Uxbridge Magistrates Court on Wednesday, August 26.
