A Qantas flight from Melbourne to Dallas-Fort Worth was diverted to Papeete, Tahiti, after a passenger allegedly became violent mid-flight and bit a cabin crew member attempting to intervene.
The incident occurred on the Dallas-bound international service QF21 (Boeing 787-9 reg. VH-ZNB) that departed Melbourne on Friday. According to reports and social media footage, the passenger appeared intoxicated, argued aggressively with the crew and passengers, and allegedly bit a flight attendant during the disturbance.
Video shared online by comedian Mike Goldstein appears to show the man stumbling from an aircraft restroom while fastening his belt, swearing at staff, and claiming he intended to leave the plane for a cigarette. Cabin crew can be heard repeatedly instructing him to calm down and behave appropriately.
The aircraft diverted to Tahiti, where local police removed the passenger upon landing. Qantas later banned the man from flying with the airline.
The incident adds to a growing number of disruptive passenger events globally, particularly those involving alleged intoxication on long-haul flights.
Source: news.com.au