Qantas passenger taken off international flight after allegedly biting flight attendant
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.
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.
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.
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