A man who threatened to "mess up the plane" was ordered by a judge to pay United Airlines more than $20,000, according to federal court documents.

A plane passenger who threatened to "mess up" an aircraft mid-flight has been ordered to pay $20,638 (£16,499).Alexander MacDonald, from Chelmsford, Essex, was onboard a United Airlines flight from London to New Jersey in the US,

MacDonald asked the head attendant if he would like to “have a problem” and threatened to “mess up the plane” while putting his hands on the attendant’s shoulders.

A United Airlines passenger from England was forced to serve time and pay more than $20,000 in fines for his "threatening" and "belligerent" behavior during a flight in March.

He had been in custody since his arrest and was sentenced to time served by Judge Lance E. Walker. According to court records, MacDonald was a passenger on a United Airlines flight from London to Newark when he began causing a disturbance during an argument with his traveling companion.