Andrew Harakas, partner and aviation expert at Clyde & Co law firm, told The Independent that Mr Dao was effectively obliged to disembark under federal law if asked to do so by staff.
“Once you’re a passenger on board an aircraft you can’t interfere with the crew performing their duties or the aircraft being operated, that’s the basic rule,” he said.
“Once you are on board an aircraft it is a general requirement of conditions that you obey the orders of the pilot and cabin crew,” he said, while adding that the orders often relate to safety instructions such as requiring passengers to fasten their seatbelts.
“Once you disobey an order of the cabin crew you are potentially in trouble, however unreasonable it is,” he added.