A Qantas flight travelling from Melbourne to Dallas was forced to land in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, after a male passenger became disruptive mid-flight, with reports he bit a member of the airline’s cabin crew.
Other passengers on board stepped in to restrain the man before the aircraft could reach the French Polynesian capital. Australia’s national broadcaster ABC was among outlets reporting the biting incident involving a Qantas staff member.
Authorities in Papeete met the man upon landing. He has since been banned from flying on all Qantas-operated services.
The airline confirmed the diversion, with a spokesperson telling AFP: “The safety of our customers and our crew is our number one priority and we have zero tolerance for disruptive or threatening behavior on our flights.”
