[Jc907]

My letter to Aegean airlines:

I wish to bring to your attention what is, in my professional opinion as a executive protection specialist and public safety professional, a very serious laps in judgement and safety by your flight crew on board Aegean/Olympic flight #391 Athens to Belgrade on August 13, 2011. My wife and I were passengers on that flight and noticed an Olympic/Aegean official assisting an obviously very drunk individual on-board. I have traveled enough and am accustomed to seeing people in various stages of intoxication, but this individual could not even stand on his feet. I told the agent I didn't think this individual should fly that he could be a potential flight risk. On the aircraft, I informed the flight attendant the same. She then spoke to the capt. who then asked to interview the individual and then obviously made the incredible decision to allow him to fly. The man then would not take his assigned seat because he could not walk that far without help. While we taxied to the runway, he began banging on the seat in front of him, for no reason, causing great distress to the passenger occupying that seat and the passenger next to her. He was then ordered to move to a seat at the rear of the plane. Again, I told another flight attendant again I didn't think this individual should be on board. She said I shouldn't worry because he will "become unconscious at any moment and won't present a problem." My wife and I informed her she did not know that and that if this individual fell into the isle during an emergency, he would impede any evacuation and risk the lives of those aboard. Then, this individual apparently decided to look for the bathroom and started for the exit door during the meal service. The senior flight attendant ordered the junior one to stay with him and monitor him so he wouldn't open an emergency exit and create an in-flight emergency. I do not work in the airlines industry, but know a thing or two about risk management and public safety. I have over 23 years experience in law enforcement providing security services to executives and diplomats the world over including operations in combat environments. Your junior flight attendant's assessment of the situation was naive and ill advised. In hind-sight, I should have insisted that he be removed for the safety of all aboard or demanded to be given another flight. I would not have ever allowed a client of mine to fly on such a flight and would have demanded he be removed. My faith in this flight crew's judgement left when we started down the runway. I spent the whole flight watching this individual and preparing to act if the need arose to ensure he would not threaten those of us who chose not to become flight risks. That was not my job, it was Aegeans and, in my opinion, you failed.

Please also keep in mind this was a Bombardier 400 aircraft which is a smaller, twin turbo-prop aircraft with a much smaller and tighter cabin than most regional jets.