Passenger Bites Flight Attendant On US-Bound Plane, Flight Diverted

Last Updated:May 17, 2026, 16:29 IST

Qantas bans passenger after QF21 from Melbourne to Dallas diverts to Papeete following alleged biting of flight attendant and abusive, disruptive behaviour.

Australia’s Qantas Airlines has banned a passenger after a plane going from Melbourne to the US was diverted as he allegedly bit a flight attendant.

The incident was reported in QF21 flight, which left Mebourne at 2:30pm on Friday to Dallas. It was diverted to Papeete in Tahiti seven hours later after the incident was reported.

According to The Guardian, the plane landed in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, wherein the passenger was issued a no-fly ban by Qantas, which includes any future Qantas and Jetstar flights. The plane was refueled and resumed its journey about 35 minutes later.

“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," Qantas spokesperson said in a statement.

The Guardian cited a footage uploaded to social media by the comedian Mike Goldstein showing 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. In video, 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 UK media outlet reported, adding that the footage did not show the alleged biting.

This is not first such incident reported in Australia. In April, a 45-year-old man was charged for alleged disorderly and aggressive behaviour that led to his mid-flight restraint while travelling from Canberra to Perth, which also included allegedly trying to bite the arm of another passenger, The Guardian reported.

News world Passenger Bites Flight Attendant On US-Bound Plane, Flight Diverted

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