A man on board a Qantas flight from Melbourne to Dallas has been banned for life from the airline after allegedly biting a crew member during a mid-air disturbance that forced the plane to divert to Tahiti.
Wild footage shared on social media by comedian Mike Goldstein captured the confrontation on Friday.
The passenger was filmed stumbling from an aircraft toilet while appearing to argue with cabin crew and fellow travellers.
The Dallas-bound flight was diverted to the Tahitian capital of Papeete, where local police boarded the aircraft and removed the man.
“We need you to behave yourself,” a Qantas crew member says in the footage.
“Bro I was just about to walk out for a cigarette,” the passenger can be heard saying.
“Put that wrist lock off (sic) me again, there’s problems.”
The footage includes continued swearing as cabin crew attempt to calm the man, while several passengers also appear to intervene.
The person filming the incident claimed the passenger was drunk.
Later footage showed Tahitian police entering the aircraft, with the man seen face down in the aisle while being restrained.
The video did not show the alleged biting incident.
In a statement, Qantas said disruptive behaviour would not be tolerated.
“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,” a Qantas spokesperson said.
According to reports from The Sydney Morning Herald, the passenger is not an Australian national.
After refuelling in Tahiti, the aircraft later continued on to Texas, arriving several hours behind schedule.
Qantas confirmed the passenger had been issued with a lifetime ban from the airline.
Images: Instagram
