A British businessman who threatened to “gang-rape” and set fire to a flight attendant has had his jail sentence tripled after an appeals court deemed the original term far too lenient.
Salman Iftikhar, 37, was traveling first class from London Heathrow to Lahore in February 2023 with his three children and one of his wives when he became violent midair.
After drinking champagne and helping himself to ice from the onboard bar, crew members asked him to return to his seat—but he refused.
Businessman Salman Iftikhar, who threatened to “gang-rape” and set fire to a flight attendant on a first-class flight from London Heathrow to Lahore, has had his jail sentence tripled.
Court heard that when staff told him to stop, Iftikhar became irate and began filming cabin crew on his phone, shouting, “Do not tell me what to do, you b—h.”
Crew alerted the pilot, prompting the seatbelt signs to be switched on—further enraging Iftikhar. According to court documents and footage, he continued shouting abuse and threatening senior flight attendant Angie Walsh.
A court heard that when told to stop, Iftikhar became irate and began filming the cabin crew on his phone, shouting, “Do not tell me what to do, you b—h.”
He threatened senior flight attendant Angie Walsh, saying she would be dragged from her hotel room, “gang-raped,” and set on fire. Iftikhar also warned he would blow up the hotel floor where the crew were due to stay once the flight landed in Pakistan.
The situation escalated so severely that the captain even considered diverting the flight to Turkey.
Iftikhar, who pleaded guilty to threats to kill and racially aggravated harassment, already had six previous convictions covering 15 offenses, including common assault and drunken driving.
Angie Walsh, a 37-year veteran of the airline, said the incident had an enormous impact on her life.
“I can’t quite believe that one passenger has affected my job, my career, and my life so profoundly,” she said. “I am a strong, brave, happy stewardess, and I loved my job. I am well known within the company. But I had to take 14 months off work. This incident has broken me.”
Police arrested Iftikhar the following month at his home in Iver, Buckinghamshire.
In August, Iftikhar was sentenced to just 15 months in prison, prompting MP Chris Philip to refer the case to the attorney general under the UK’s “unduly lenient” sentencing scheme.
At the time, one of his two wives appeared to defend him online, urging people to consider his struggles and show compassion.
“Mental health is not a joke. Before judging, try understanding. Be kind,” the 37-year-old supermodel and actress wrote, appealing for empathy amid widespread outrage.
The popular Pakistani actress, who has over half a million social media followers, often posts clips of her husband, who lives in the UK with another woman, the mother of his children.
Following a review, the Court of Appeal increased Iftikhar’s jail sentence to four years and three months. The Solicitor General said the revised term better reflected the “gravity and sustained nature” of his threats and the lasting harm caused to Walsh.
