Pakistan Businessman Jailed In UK For Threatening To Rape Air Hostess, Bomb Her Hotel

Last Updated:August 06, 2025, 22:48 IST

Salman Iftikhar was sentenced to 15 months in jail in the UK for threatening to gang-rape an air hostess on a Virgin Atlantic flight from London to Lahore

Authorities in Pakistan did not take any action against Iftikhar, but he was arrested in the UK on March 16, 2024. (AI-generated Photo)

A businessman from Pakistan has been sentenced to jail for 15 months in the UK for threatening an air hostess that he would drag her out of her hotel room and gang-rape her.

The incident took place when Salman Iftikhar was flying first class with his wife and three children on February 7, 2023, on a Virgin Atlantic flight from London Heathrow to Lahore.  The 37-year-old was drinking champagne at the in-flight bar when he reached over the counter and grabbed ice with his bare hands. The cabin crew confronted him and asked him to return to his seat.

In a short video shot by another passenger, Iftikhar can be heard repeatedly accusing the air hostess of being a racist after drinking champagne during an eight-hour flight.

“You called me a P*ki in front of everybody… Don’t tell me what to do, you racist f–king bitch. I know where you are from in Cardiff," Iftikhar said, as reported by The Mirror.

As per prosecutor Abdul Kapadia, Iftikhar knew the specific hotel, but also the hotel room numbers, and threatened the cabin crew. “He told [the stewardess]: ‘You will be dead on the floor of your hotel’."

“You will be dragged by your hair from your room and gang raped and set on fire," Kapadia said, citing Iftikhar.

Kapadia said authorities in Pakistan did not take any action against Iftikhar, but he was arrested in the UK on March 16, 2024.

The victim, who was present in the court during the hearing, said: “I am a strong, brave, happy stewardess, and loved my job… I was working when all flights were grounded on 9/11, and I’ve even flown into a warzone. But this incident has broken me."

“I felt exposed and vulnerable, especially as we were 39,000 feet in the air. There was nowhere for me to go," the victim said

Iftikhar has been convicted six times in 15 offences, including assault in 2004 and drink driving in 2008.

London, United Kingdom (UK)

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