Khalid Mir was on a seven hour Emirates flight from Dubai to Birmingham when the incident unfolded.
Birmingham Magistrates Court heard how the 39-year-old from the West Midlands city, had become involved in an altercation with a female passenger on the flight on November 17, 2016.
Birmingham Mail reported that Mir was asked to calm down, but his behaviour became more aggressive and the crew were forced to restrain him.
Prosecuting, Colin Phillips, said: “The defendant consumed a few drinks before boarding the aircraft and had purchased three bottles of vodka from duty free.
“He also shared a bottle with a friend.”
The local newspaper reported that just half an hour into the flight, Mir became involved in the altercation.
He was repeatedly asked to calm down, however, his behaviour became more “disorderly and threatening”.
It was at this point Mir received a formal warning from the captain.
Despite this, his behaviour continued and the flight attendants felt it was necessary to “restrain” him “for the protection of other passengers”.
Mir was taken to the back of the plane where he was tied to a chair and his hands and feet were tied together. A mask was also placed over his face.
The court heard how he then went on to spit in the face of a crew member as she attempted to give him a drink through a straw.
He was also reported to have called the air hostess a “dirty white”.
In a statement read out in court, the female flight attendant said she was “disgusted” when Mir “started spitting and spat directly in my face”.
Mir pleaded guilty to being drunk on board an aircraft and failing to obey a lawful command of a pilot.
The court was also told that Mir has 57 prior convictions. These include more than 20 offences for theft and drug related incidents.
Mir is due to be sentenced on March 8 at Birmingham Crown Court.
The story comes after a video captured two lawyers getting into a heated fight on a Monarch flight from the UK to Malaga.
