Passenger banned from Qantas after allegedly biting attendant on flight from Australia to US

A Qantas QF21 long-haul flight from Melbourne to Dallas was diverted to Papeete, Tahiti after a disruptive passenger allegedly bit a flight attendant. The flight left Melbourne at 2.30pm on Friday and landed in Papeete about seven hours later. Passengers and other crew assisted the attendant during the alleged assault. Authorities met the aircraft in Papeete, and Qantas issued a no-fly ban covering any future Qantas and Jetstar flights. The plane was refuelled and departed about 35 minutes later, arriving in Dallas on Saturday morning. Social media footage showed a heated exchange with cabin crew, but it did not show the alleged biting.

"The QF21 flight left Melbourne at 2.30pm on Friday en route to Dallas and was diverted to Papeete in Tahiti seven hours later when the behaviour of the disruptive passenger forced it to land. Passengers and other crew came to the assistance of the attendant during the alleged assault, a Qantas spokesperson said. Upon arrival in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, the plane was met by authorities and the passenger was issued a no-fly ban by Qantas, which includes any future Qantas and Jetstar flights."

"The plane was refuelled and the flight resumed its journey to Dallas about 35 minutes later, arriving on Saturday morning. A map shows the route of the Qantas QF21 flight from Melbourne. It landed in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, before continuing on to Dallas. Photograph: AirNavRadar.com The Qantas spokesperson said: 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."

"Footage uploaded to social media by the comedian Mike Goldstein showed a man in a heated exchange with cabin crew, 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 he had wanted to walk out for a ciggie. In response, the flight attendant said he was carrying on like a two-bob watch. The footage did not show the alleged biting."

Read at www.theguardian.com