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A businessman of Pakistani origin, Salman Iftikhar, has finally been sentenced to 15 months in prison by Isleworth Crown Court in London for threatening to gang-rape a Virgin Atlantic air hostess and blow up her hotel room during a flight from London to Lahore. The shocking mid-air incident occurred on February 7, 2023, and left the flight crew traumatized, with one senior stewardess taking more than a year off work due to the psychological impact.
Iftikhar, 37, was traveling in first class with his wife and children when he became abusive towards the cabin crew after consuming alcohol. Witnesses reported that he had been drinking champagne at the onboard bar before starting a confrontation with staff. He was told to return to his seat after helping himself to ice with his bare hands, which prompted an outburst of rage.
The situation escalated quickly when Iftikhar accused senior flight attendant Angie Walsh of racism. He shouted, “You called me a p*** in front of everyone,” and followed up with foul-mouthed abuse, including, “Don’t tell me what to do, you racist f***ing bitch. I know where you are from in Cardiff.” He continued his tirade by threatening other members of the crew, including male flight attendant Tommy Merchant, whom he grabbed and challenged to a fight.
Most disturbingly, Iftikhar went on to threaten Walsh with graphic sexual violence and terrorism. He revealed the exact hotel and floor where the Virgin Atlantic crew would be staying in Lahore and threatened in typical jihadist style, “The white sheep s***ing bitch will be dead. The floor of your hotel will be blown up, and it will disappear. You will be dragged by your hair from your room, gang-raped, and set on fire.” His threatening tone and specific knowledge of the crew’s accommodation deeply alarmed the flight attendants.
Crew members were so alarmed by the threats that they considered diverting the flight to Turkey. When informed of this, Iftikhar flew into an even greater rage. He threatened the crew, boasting about his high level of contacts. Witnesses reported that Iftikhar’s wife and children tried repeatedly to calm him down during the ordeal. His children were visibly distressed, and his wife attempted to restrain him physically, but he shoved her away as he continued his verbal rampage.
Despite the gravity of the incident, authorities didn’t arrest Iftikhar upon arrival in Lahore. In fact, it wasn’t until over a year later, on March 16, 2024, that he was arrested at his luxury £1 million home in Iver, Buckinghamshire. By that time, he had already resumed his lavish lifestyle, reportedly living with two wives, one in the UK and one in Pakistan, and owning luxury cars and property.
Iftikhar was a director of a recruitment firm named Staffing Match, and had previously presented himself as a successful entrepreneur. Reports suggest that his company had collapsed during COVID-19, leaving millions in debt.
During court proceedings, he pleaded guilty to charges of making threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment. He was acquitted of physical assault against crew member Tommy Merchant. His defense claimed that he had experienced “amnesia and blood loss” during the incident and cited long-standing alcohol and drug problems. However, the judge rejected his claims of remorse and noted that he had a prior criminal record involving 15 offenses, including drunk driving and assault.
Judge Rufus Alexander, who handed down the sentence, described the abuse as “appalling” and cited the lasting impact on the victim. Angie Walsh, who had been with the airline for over 30 years, was deeply impacted by the incident and was signed off work for 14 months. In her victim impact statement, she said, “I am a strong, brave, happy stewardess … but this incident has broken me … never in my entire career flying have I not been sure what to do.”
Virgin Atlantic condemned the behavior in a statement, praising the crew’s professionalism and reiterating the airline’s zero-tolerance policy for abusive passengers. “Our crew acted with the highest professionalism in handling this terrifying situation,” the airline said, adding that they are committed to supporting staff who face abuse while on duty.