A Qantas flight from Melbourne to Dallas was forced to divert to Tahiti after a passenger allegedly bit a flight attendant. The incident occurred on Friday aboard flight QF21, which departed Melbourne at 2:30pm local time. Seven hours into the journey, the disruptive behaviour of a male passenger prompted the crew to land the plane in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia.
According to a Qantas spokesperson, passengers and crew members assisted the flight attendant during the alleged assault. Upon landing, authorities met the aircraft, and the passenger was issued a no-fly ban by Qantas, covering all future Qantas and Jetstar flights. The plane was refuelled and resumed its journey to Dallas after approximately 35 minutes, arriving on Saturday morning.
The Qantas spokesperson stated: “The safety of our customers and our crew is our number one priority and we have zero tolerance for disruptive or threatening behaviour on our flights.” New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that a New Zealander had been detained in Tahiti but provided no further details for privacy reasons.
Footage posted on social media by comedian Mike Goldstein showed the passenger arguing with cabin crew, repeatedly telling them to “fuck off” when asked to move to the back of the plane. He appeared unsteady and slurred his words, saying he wanted to “walk out for a ciggie”.
This incident is part of a series of altercations on Australian flights. Last month, a 45-year-old Queanbeyan man was charged after allegedly trying to bite another passenger’s arm on a flight from Canberra to Perth. He also allegedly kicked a cabin manager during restraint. Australian Federal Police Acting Superintendent Peter Brindal warned: “Being in the air does not give anyone a free pass from the law.”
