Who is Stanley Johnson? Boris Johnson's father accused of causing British Airways flight cancellation

Updated July 1, 2024, 6:05 PM IST

Stanley Johnson, father of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has been accused of cancelling a British Airways flight diverted to Heathrow after an emergency at Gatwick. Johnson allegedly insisted on disembarking at Heathrow, causing delays and police intervention. Johnson’s varied career and recent controversies have made him a notable figure in British politics.

Stanley Johnson, father of former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, involved in British Airways flight incident.

Stanley Johnsonthe father of the former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has recently come under scrutiny. It was involved in the cancellation of a British Airways Flight British Airways flight BA2641 has been diverted to London Heathrow Airport. The cancellation came after an emergency incident at Gatwick Airport. British Airways flight BA2641 took off from Malaga, Spain, at around 11:35am on Friday. It was scheduled to land at Gatwick two hours later. However, all flights to and from Gatwick were disrupted due to a British Airways Boeing 777 being stuck on the runway.

The Airbus A321 flew south of Gatwick before diverting to Heathrow. It was at this point that passengers were told that it was planned to refuel and continue to Gatwick. However, some passengers, including Johnson, reportedly insisted on getting off at Heathrow. Eventually, as the situation continued to escalate, the police were called. British Airways then had to cancel the flight after missing a slot to get to Gatwick. Passengers were then transported to Gatwick by bus.

One passenger told The Independent: “The plan was to refuel and the plane was given a slot to fly to Gatwick. However, as Stanley Johnson decided he wanted to get off – along with another passenger – we missed the slot.” Another witness said Johnson became “quite irate” during the incident. British Airways also commented: “Due to an earlier disruption at Gatwick, the flight was diverted to Heathrow where it terminated.”

Stanley Patrick Johnson was born on 18 August 1940. He is a British-French writer and former politician. He was a Member of the European Parliament for Wight and Hampshire East from 1979 to 1984. He has also worked for the World Bank and the European Commission and has written extensively on environmental and population issues. He has six children, including Boris Johnson, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Johnson was born in Penzance, Cornwall, to Osman Kemal (later Wilfred Johnson) and Irene Williams. His paternal grandfather, Ali Kemal Bey, was an Ottoman Interior Minister. However, Kamal Bey was later assassinated during the Turkish War of Independence. Stanley attended Sherborne School in Dorset. He later studied English at Exeter College, Oxford. He also took part in the Marco Polo expedition, travelling from Oxford to India and Afghanistan.

In 1963, Johnson began studying at Columbia University. However, after about a year, he dropped out. He married painter Charlotte Fawcett and had four children, including Boris Johnson. After their divorce in 1979, he married Jennifer Kidd. With her, he had two more children. Johnson’s career was versatile, including work at the World Bank, the European Commission, and as a Conservative Party politician.

In recent years, however, Johnson’s name has been at the center of several controversies. In July 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he traveled to Greece despite travel restrictions. He circumvented the rules by traveling through Bulgaria. In December 2020, he applied for and received French citizenship.

Johnson has also been accused of inappropriate behavior. Biographer Tom Bower reported that Johnson’s first wife, Charlotte Fawcett, claimed he hit her on several occasions. In November 2021, Caroline Nokes accused Johnson of touching her inappropriately at the 2003 Conservative Party conference. Journalist Ailbhe Rea also accused Johnson of groping her at the 2019 Conservative Party conference.

Despite his many controversies, Johnson has received numerous awards for his work on environmental issues. His accolades include the RSPB Medal and the WWF Leader for a Living Planet Award.