Qantas passenger taken off international flight after allegedly biting flight attendant
Updated ,first published
A Qantas flight traveling from Melbourne to Dallas was briefly diverted to Tahiti over the weekend to remove a man who allegedly bit a flight attendant.
Comedian and TV star Mike Goldstein posted an Instagram video showing part of the incident, which included a man slamming into a restroom door and arguing with airline staff.
Other passengers and crew rushed to the aid of the staff member who was allegedly attacked by the man during the 18-hour QF21 flight. This masthead understands that no serious injury has occurred.
The plane had to return briefly to Tahiti’s capital, Papeete; Here the man was removed from the plane, met by local authorities and banned from flying by Qantas.
After refueling, the aircraft departed and arrived at its destination several hours late Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST) on Saturday morning.
Some of the chaos appears to be visible in an Instagram reel posted by Goldstein, a regular panellist on Nine Network comedy series The Hundred with Andy Lee. Granny is the owner of this tag.
The video, shot by a passenger sitting nearby, begins with a crew member opening the toilet door. The seemingly drunk man stumbles out and says he was “trying to open the fucking door.”
The following change occurs.
Crew member: “I know you’re trying. Keep your tongue low.”
Man: “Why?”
Crew member: “Because there are kids everywhere. You’re being immature… You need to get your act together; you’re on a plane.”
Man: “Where is it? In the air?”
Crew member: “Everywhere.”
Man: “I know!”
Throughout the conversation, the man walks towards the toilet door and occasionally looks around. The camera pans across the screen to show that there are almost 11 hours left in the flight.
The man walks past the crew member, at one point grabbing the screen in front of the passenger seat and cursing at him before several more crew members approach them. He was warned that he might be arrested and said: “Brother, I was just about to go out for a smoke.”
The crew member responds: “You’re going on like two-bob clockwork. You’re sitting in the back… you’ve got your last chance.”
After some more discussion and a brief discussion, the camera cuts to a caption titled “Plane lands in Tahiti,” followed by a brief shot of a police officer passing by and a shot of passengers talking in the aisles.
The video did not include the alleged biting incident.
A Qantas spokesman said in a statement that the safety of its customers and crew was their priority.
“We have zero tolerance for disruptive or threatening behavior on our flights,” they said.
The incident follows chaos on a flight from Canberra to Perth last month; A man has been charged after allegedly kicking a flight attendant and biting a passenger.
Queanbeyan, 45, allegedly shouted, swore and ignored instructions during the flight. Nine News reported.
An Australian Federal Police (AFP) spokesman said the man kicked and pushed the seat in front of him and was aggressive towards the woman in the seat.
In January, AFP reported that a Canberra woman on a Perth-bound flight weeks earlier had allegedly behaved erratically towards another passenger before assaulting a cabin crew member as the plane prepared to take off.
The 52-year-old woman allegedly grabbed the flight attendant’s arm and head by force.
AFP officers boarded the plane, escorted the woman off the plane at Perth Airport and charged her with the incident.
At the time, AFP Acting Inspector Hayley Faithfull said any aggressive or anti-social behavior on the flight could pose a direct threat to the aircraft and cause distress to passengers.
“AFP is working closely with our airline partners to intervene where someone’s behavior interferes with the safety of employees or the public on flights using Australia’s major airports,” he said.
It is understood the man involved in the alleged incident on the Melbourne-Dallas flight is not Australian.
Start your day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
