Belgian Man Sentenced for Groping Flight Attendant on Flight

A 43-year-old Belgian national has been sentenced to 10 months in prison and ordered to pay over $73,000 in restitution after groping a female flight attendant, assaulting a male crew member, and attempting to breach the cockpit aboard a Swiss International Airlines flight from Newark to Zurich. The incident, which occurred on March 31, 2024, forced the aircraft to turn back to Newark Liberty International Airport, where the suspect was arrested upon landing.

The Incident

Jan Daeninck was a passenger aboard Swiss International Airlines flight LX19, an Airbus A330 carrying 236 passengers and 13 crew members. Shortly after takeoff, while seatbelt signs were still illuminated, Daeninck left his seat in business class and approached a female flight attendant. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, he grabbed both of her breasts, shook her, and began yelling at her, threatening to kill her.

After the flight attendant managed to escape, Daeninck ran to the cockpit and began kicking and beating the reinforced door in an attempt to breach it. A male flight attendant who intervened was punched and kicked repeatedly in the head and upper body. Other crew members eventually wrestled Daeninck to the floor and restrained him near the cockpit door, though he continued to kick, spit, and threaten to kill them throughout the remainder of the flight.

The pilots declared an emergency and diverted the aircraft back to Newark, where Daeninck was taken into custody. The male flight attendant was hospitalized for treatment of his injuries.

Legal Proceedings and Sentencing

Daeninck was initially charged in October 2024 with interference with flight crew members and attendants — a charge carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison — along with assault and abusive sexual contact charges. He was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond pending trial.

However, Daeninck reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, pleading guilty to a single count of assaulting a flight attendant by beating, wounding, or striking. On June 1, 2026, U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte sentenced him to 10 months in prison — near the statutory maximum for that charge — followed by one year of supervised release. The court also ordered Daeninck to pay over $73,000 (approximately €67,000) in restitution to the crew members he assaulted.

Het Laatste Nieuws, the Belgian outlet that first reported the story, noted that many commenters drew comparisons between the U.S. sentence and what they perceived as lighter penalties for similar offenses under Belgian law.

Official Reactions

U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer emphasized the seriousness of the offense in a statement following the sentencing: “The defendant’s actions threatened the safety and security of innocent passengers, crew members, and the flight itself. Violence against flight crew members and attempts to compromise aircraft security will not be tolerated.”

FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy added: “The traveling public should feel confident the FBI takes aviation safety seriously. When a passenger attempts to breach a cockpit or assaults crew members, they are not just attacking individuals; they are threatening the safety of every single person on board.”

Aviation Security Implications

The case underscores the critical importance of reinforced cockpit doors — a security measure implemented after the September 11, 2001 attacks — which prevented Daeninck from gaining access to the flight deck. It also highlights the effectiveness of crew training in handling unruly passengers and the aviation industry’s zero-tolerance approach to sexual misconduct and violence aboard aircraft.

The incident is part of a broader trend of strict enforcement against unruly passenger behavior, particularly on flights departing from or arriving in the United States, where federal law grants authorities extraterritorial jurisdiction over offenses committed in U.S. airspace.

What’s Next

Daeninck will serve his 10-month sentence in U.S. federal custody, followed by one year of supervised release. The substantial restitution order — among the largest for a non-lethal assault on an aircraft — reflects the physical and psychological harm suffered by the crew members. Questions remain about whether the victims may pursue additional civil litigation and whether Daeninck will seek to serve his sentence in Belgium through a prisoner transfer agreement.

News12 New Jersey reported that the case has drawn attention from aviation safety advocates who view it as a benchmark for how seriously U.S. courts treat in-flight sexual assault and violence against crew members.