Irishman faces 20 years in jail after exposing himself on flight to New York

An Irishman who refused to wear a Covid mask on a flight from Dublin to New York and exposed his rear end to a flight attendant faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of assault, the US justice department said on Friday.

On January 7, McInerney was accused of causing a commotion on a Delta Airlines flight.

He appeared before a judge in New York a week later and was charged with intimidating a member of a flight crew.

The suspect mooned a flight attendant and passengers after he hit a passenger in the head with a beverage can and refused to wear a mask.

A court spokesman said that if convicted, McInerney could be sentenced to 20 years in prison.

McInerney was going to Florida to work at a football academy.

He was released on bail.

In January 2021, the FAA said it would have a zero-tolerance policy towards people who reject federal rules.

Flight attendants reported a high number of incidents of verbal and physical abuse from travellers who refuse to wear a mask.

A passenger refused to wear a Covid mask on the American Airlines jet that was headed from Miami to London.