While air travel is a modern marvel, sitting in a smallish seat with limited legroom among hundreds of other people in a narrow metal tube for hours on end can be trying. It’s decidedly less fun when one of your fellow passengers decides to vent their displeasure in no uncertain terms.
That’s not exactly a revelation for the travellers on Etihad Airways Flight EY-5 on February 13, 2026. That’s because fellow passenger Sophiyaa Sahu allegedly spent close to 30 minutes of the 15-hour flight heading to Washington Dulles International Airport screaming expletives and physically assaulting two flight crew members. Although she calmed down after her tirade, the 40-year-old was taken into custody by law enforcement after arrival.
In a probable cause affidavit filed by an FBI Special Agent in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, Sahu admits giving a “public speech” to the rest of the cabin but denies striking anyone. However, her account clashes with written statements provided by several passengers who claim to have witnessed her assaults.
Her future travel plans may be limited. In addition to assault charges, she faces up to 20 years in a federal prison for violating the law protecting flight crews from being attacked or interfering with their duties.
Wait, She Stood Up on Her Seat? How Is That Even Possible on a Plane?
While the flight from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) isn’t as long as the 19-hour slog between New York and Singapore, the 15 hours required for the trip is no quick ride on a puddle-jumper commuter flight either. A prolonged period crammed into an airline seat can fray anyone’s nerves, but losing your cool while in flight is not a great idea.
Any disruption in-flight can cause a disaster, and both the 9/11 attacks and a rise in aviation-related terrorist activity led to increases in safety and security measures. Air travellers can expect more thorough pre-flight boarding measures and enhanced penalties for those who intimidate, assault, or interfere with members of a plane’s flight crew. Purchasing a plane ticket is akin to entering into a contract with the carrier, with passengers expected to follow the rules as any reasonable person would.
According to the affidavit, Sahu may have skipped over reading the fine print. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, comparable in size and range to the Airbus A-350, was almost halfway through the scheduled flight when things went awry. A flight attendant was providing food and beverage service from a cart when Sahu began raising her voice at him. He asked her to calm down, but she kept yelling. When the flight attendant turned to move the cart away from her and up the aisle, Sahu allegedly kicked him in the hip area with her combat-style boots.
The attendant turned back around and attempted to verbally de-escalate the situation, at which point Sahu stood on her seat and screamed obscenities that included referring to the flight crew as “whores” and “motherf**kers.” After the attendant retrieved the flight manager, Sahu allegedly pushed the manager’s shoulder several times and slapped away her hand. The flight manager was prepared to use a restraint kit, but Sahu calmed down and remained in her seat for the rest of the flight. Upon landing, she was taken into custody.
Maybe an Extra Bag of Peanuts Would Have Helped?
In her discussions with the FBI agent, Sahu didn’t deny yelling at the flight crew (and everyone else), but insisted she didn’t strike anyone. The affidavit notes that several of her fellow passengers provided written statements indicating that she absolutely did. However, any federal assault charges might be the least of Sahu’s worries.
49 U.S.C. § 46504 specifies that, in addition to assault and intimidation, interfering with the duties of a flight crew member is a federal offense. There’s little to no question that Sahu’s behavior interrupted the food and beverage service being provided by the flight attendant. It’s a federal code with teeth, as Sahu faces up to 20 years in federal prison if convicted. That’s a long time to go between trips to the duty-free shop.
Related Resources
- Air Travelers Get Payback (FindLaw’s Law and Daily Life)
- Traveling Abroad? Trips for Staying Out of Trouble (FindLaw’s Law and Daily Life)
- 10 Things That Can Get You Booted Off a Flight (FindLaw’s Law and Daily Life)
