The man threatened the cabin crew member aboard a Virgin Atlantic flight and left her 'traumatised' following the threats
Salman Iftikhar, 38, launched the shocking attack on air hostess Angie Walsh during the international flight – an incident she says has left her "traumatised".
At the time of sentencing, Iftikhar's jail term was branded "unduly lenient" amid accusations of "two-tier justice" after he was handed 32 months behind bars.
Now, Iftikhar's sentence has been trebled in the wake of public outcry, with the Court of Appeal opting to extend his sentence by three years.
Iftikhar was travelling from London to Lahore, Pakistan, on February 7 2023 when the verbal attack took place.
He went on to threaten Ms Walsh with sexual and physical assault at 39,000ft, insisting he would go to her hotel after the flight to carry out the attack.
Passengers aboard the aircraft filmed the incident, as Iftikhar repeatedly branded Ms Walsh a "f***ing b****".
Iftikhar is alleged to have two wives – one in Pakistan and one in the UK – according to the Mail Online, who revealed he is married to Pakistani actress Abeer Rizvi, who has more than 500,000 TikTok followers, alongside his British wife Erum Salman, 38, with whom he has three children.
Iftikhar, whose business collapsed after accruing £17million worth of debts, later threatened to blow up the five-star hotel where Ms Walsh was staying.
The businessman's initial sentence was widely compared to that of Southport riots tweeter Lucy Connolly, who was jailed for 31 months for her online comments.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp went on to refer the sentence to the Attorney General amid public outcry, with many calling the jail term “unduly lenient”.
But this week saw that 32 month jail term significantly increased, with the Court of Appeal making the assessment under the Unduly Lenient Scheme.
Solicitor General Ellie Reeves said today: 'Salman Iftikhar made horrific threats of rape and violence against an air steward who was simply doing her job.
'His tirade of hate and abuse caused distress and anguish for the whole flight, and all of our thoughts today should be with the cabin crew and passengers who suffered from Iftikhar's vile behaviour.
'I hope this brings comfort and a sense of justice to those impacted, and underlines that our criminal justice system works for victims and vulnerable people.'
