Passenger Banned from Qantas After Allegedly Biting Flight Attendant

A passenger has been banned from future Qantas travel after a long-haul flight from Australia to the U.S. was diverted over the weekend following an incident in which the man allegedly bit a flight attendant.

Flight QF21 departed Melbourne at 2:30 p.m. Friday bound for Dallas, but was diverted to Papeete in Tahiti seven hours later after the disruptive passenger’s behavior forced the diversion.

Passengers and crew members assisted the flight attendant during the alleged assault, a Qantas spokesperson said.

Upon arrival in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, authorities met the aircraft. Qantas issued the passenger a no-fly ban, covering all future Qantas and Jetstar flights.

The plane refueled and resumed its journey to Dallas about 35 minutes later, arriving Saturday morning.

“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,” the Qantas spokesperson said.

Footage posted to social media by comedian Mike Goldstein showed a man in a heated exchange with cabin crew, repeatedly telling them to “fuck off” when asked 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 wanted to “walk out for a ciggie.” The flight attendant responded that he was carrying on “like a two-bob watch.”

The footage did not capture the alleged biting.

The case is part of a series of altercations on Australian flights, several of which have led to arrests.

Last month, a Queanbeyan man was charged over alleged disorderly and aggressive behavior that led to his mid-flight restraint on a Canberra-to-Perth flight, which included allegedly trying to bite another passenger’s arm.

The man, 45, is accused of shouting, swearing and ignoring safety instructions from airline crew during the April 16 flight.

He further allegedly kicked a cabin manager during restraint attempts and tried to bite the arm of another passenger who assisted, according to the Australian Federal Police.

He faces three charges, including assault on an aircraft crew member, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

AFP acting superintendent Peter Brindal said at the time that antisocial or aggressive behavior can be particularly concerning in the confined space of an aircraft during flight.

“Being in the air does not give anyone a free pass from the law and consequences on the ground,” he said. “The AFP … will put people before the courts if they are accused of breaking the law.”

In January, AFP alleged a Canberra woman on a Perth-bound flight behaved erratically as the plane prepared to take off and subsequently assaulted a cabin crew member. She was charged with one count of assaulting a crew member and one count of offensive and disorderly behavior on an aircraft.

A vape device also caused alarm in February, when a Brisbane-to-Melbourne flight was met by firefighters after landing.

Pilots of the Virgin Australia flight issued a “pan” call after a vape activated in the cabin during descent, with visible smoke.

Last year, a Jordanian national was charged after allegedly trying to open the doors of a Sydney-bound aircraft mid-flight. Crew and passengers restrained him, during which he allegedly assaulted a crew member.

Guardian Australia understands the passenger is not Australian.