Passenger banned from Qantas after allegedly biting attendant on flight from Australia to US | Qantas
A passenger has been banned from future Qantas travel after a long-haul flight from Australia to the US was diverted over the weekend after the man allegedly bit a flight attendant.
Flight QF21 left Melbourne for Dallas at 2.30pm on Friday and was diverted to Papeete on the island of Tahiti seven hours later after the disruptive passenger’s behavior forced it to land temporarily.
A Qantas spokesman said passengers and other crew members came to the attendant’s aid during the alleged biting incident.
Upon arrival in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, the plane was met by authorities and the passenger was issued a flight ban by Qantas, which included all future Qantas and Jetstar flights.
The plane was refueled and the flight continued its journey to Dallas approximately 35 minutes later, arriving Saturday morning without further incident.
“The safety of our customers and crew is our number one priority and we have zero tolerance for disruptive or threatening behavior on our flights,” a Qantas spokesperson said.
Footage of parts of the alleged incident posted to social media by comedian Mike Goldstein showed a man arguing heatedly with cabin crew and repeatedly telling them to “fuck off” when they asked him to move to the back of the plane.
Standing in the aisle, he appeared to be stumbling and slurring his words, telling a flight attendant that he wanted to “go out for a smoke.” In response, the flight attendant said she acted “like a two-shilling clock.”
The alleged biting incident was not visible in the footage.
The case is among recent incidents on Australian flights, some of which have resulted in arrests.
Last month, a Queanbeyan man was charged with alleged erratic and aggressive behavior leading to in-flight restraint while traveling from Canberra to Perth, including attempting to bite another passenger’s arm.
The 45-year-old man allegedly behaved inappropriately during the flight on April 16, shouting, swearing and ignoring safety instructions from the airline crew.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said in a statement that the man also allegedly kicked a cabin manager who was trying to restrain him and tried to bite the arm of another passenger who was helping to restrain him.
He was tried on three counts, including assault on aircrew, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
AFP acting superintendent Peter Brindal said at the time that antisocial or aggressive behavior could be concerning within the confines of the aircraft, particularly during flight.
“Being in the air does not give anyone the right to be exempt from the law and consequences on the field,” he said.
“The AFP… will bring to trial people accused of breaking the law.”
This follows another incident in January when AFP alleged a Canberra woman on a Perth-bound flight acted erratically as the plane prepared for takeoff and then assaulted a cabin crew member. He was charged with one count of assaulting the crew of an aircraft and one count of aggressive and disorderly behavior on an aircraft.
An e-cigarette device also caused a plane crash this year; A flight from Brisbane to Melbourne was greeted by firefighters after landing in February.
Pilots of a Virgin Australia flight issued a “pan” call after an e-cigarette was activated in the cabin during landing and smoke was seen billowing from the device.
Last year, a Jordanian citizen was accused of trying to open the doors of a plane bound for Sydney during the flight. Crew and passengers had to restrain the man after he allegedly attacked an airline staff member.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade was contacted for comment.
