A Man Banned from All Qantas Flights After Alleged Attack on Crew
A man has been banned from all Qantas flights after allegedly biting a crew member during a flight from Melbourne to the United States. The incident forced the plane to divert to Tahiti, where the passenger was arrested by local authorities.
The flight, which was heading to Dallas, was diverted to Papeete in Tahiti for refuelling and to allow the passenger to be taken off the aircraft. Despite the disruption, the plane eventually completed its journey to Dallas, albeit several hours late.
The incident occurred aboard flight QF21, an 18-hour journey that had approximately 11 hours remaining when the disruption took place. Fellow passengers reportedly helped the airline crew during the confrontation, and no serious injuries were reported.
Segments of the incident were captured on video by comedian Mike Goldstein, who was also on the flight to Dallas-Fort Worth. His video, shared on Instagram, showed a passenger emerging from a bathroom and arguing with flight attendants about his behavior.
The passenger appeared to be stumbling, slurring his words, and repeatedly swearing at crew members and other passengers. One flight attendant told him, “There’s kids around everywhere and you’re acting immature. You have to behave yourself, you’re on a plane.”
The passenger expressed confusion about being on a plane and asked a flight attendant if he was “smoking any weed.” He added, “I was just about to walk out for a cigarette.”
According to a post on X by Air Nav Radar, the passenger allegedly bit a crew member, although this has not been confirmed by Qantas or authorities. A Qantas spokesperson stated, “The safety of our customers and our crew is our number one priority. We have zero tolerance for disruptive or threatening behaviour on our flights.”
The flight ultimately arrived at its Dallas-Fort Worth destination several hours late on Saturday morning Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST). It is understood that the passenger involved is from New Zealand, not an Australian national. The Australian Federal Police have been contacted for comment.
Recent Incidents Highlight Ongoing Concerns
This mid-air disruption follows a series of recent high-profile incidents on domestic routes. Just last month, a 45-year-old Queanbeyan man was charged by the AFP after allegedly kicking a flight attendant and biting a fellow passenger on a Canberra to Perth flight.
In January, a 52-year-old Canberra woman was escorted off a flight at Perth Airport and charged after allegedly behaving erratically and forcibly grabbing a flight attendant’s arm and head.
At the time of these incidents, AFP Acting Superintendent Hayley Faithfull reiterated that the agency works closely with airline partners to intervene in cases of aggressive or antisocial behavior that poses a direct threat to crew or public safety.
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