A woman has been taken into custody after trying to halt a QantasLink airplane on the tarmac at Canberra Airport. The incident, which took place on Wednesday evening, was recorded by onlookers who watched in disbelief as the woman attempted to get the attention of the aircraft’s pilot just moments before its scheduled takeoff.
In the video, the woman can be seen close to the plane, gesturing in an apparent effort to stop the aircraft from departing without her. She then walked back towards the terminal when it became clear her efforts were in vain. Eyewitnesses, including Dennis Bilic who filmed the scene, expressed uncertainty about how to respond to the unfolding situation.
Simon Hales, another witness, called the incident “bizarre,” confirming that the woman had missed her flight but nonetheless tried to physically stop the plane. The pilot, made aware of the situation, promptly powered down the engine to avoid any danger.
An woman who apparently missed her flight tried to catch it by running after the QantasLink Embraer E190AR plane (VH-XVO) on the tarmac.
— FL360aero (@fl360aero) November 2, 2023
The strange incident was captured at Canberra Airport (CBR) on Nov 01, 2023. On chase, woman started waving at the pilot.
📹Dennis Bilic pic.twitter.com/rKw7p1xsKN
The Australian Federal Police reported that the woman bypassed airport personnel and dashed onto the tarmac, directly approaching the moving aircraft. She has been charged with unauthorized entry to an airside area, property damage, and possession of a prohibited substance after a small amount of cannabis was found on her person.
This occurrence echoes a similar event from 2021 at LAX Airport, where another woman was detained for an attempt to flag down an aircraft.