Shock new details revealed about unruly passenger who caused a Bali-bound flight to turn back to Australia
The woman who allegedly arranged for a Jetstar flight to return to Bali reportedly acted ‘creepy’ before boarding and assaulted an elderly man while on the plane.
Jetstar flight JQ43 from Melbourne to Bali departed as scheduled at 10am on Monday.
Just two hours into the six-hour journey, the flight crew made the decision to abandon the planned route and return to Melbourne at 3pm after a passenger became unruly.
Fellow passenger Kyle Hand said the chaotic scenes began after the woman spent 30 minutes in the toilet.
Hand added that the woman walked up and down the aisle of the plane before speaking to a man who he thought was about 75 years old.
A Jetstar flight to Bali was forced to turn around and land in Melbourne after a passenger went on a tirade and even banged on the cockpit door
‘She started abusing her and threatening her with assault. I would say the guy would have been about 75 years old, and that’s when it really started,” Hand told Sunrise on Tuesday.
Another passenger claimed the woman went on a tirade mid-flight and even banged on the cockpit door because she thought someone had stolen her phone.
“Jetstar flight from Melbourne to Bali returned to Melbourne today because a woman went crazy and banged on the cockpit door thinking someone had stolen her phone,” the passenger wrote on Facebook.
The unruly passenger began shouting at other travelers before she was eventually stopped.
“I’m not sure what happened but she continued to assault a few more people – eventually they restrained her,” Mr Hand said.
Mr Hand added that another passenger told him the woman was acting “creepy” even before boarding the flight.
“The passengers next to me said they saw her acting quite erratically right before she got on the plane,” Hand said.
Fellow passenger Kyle Hand (pictured) claimed the woman had assaulted a man he believed to be around 75 years old before she was detained
Jetstar has rescheduled the flight and apologized to its customers for the inconvenience
Jetstar rescheduled the flight and apologized for any inconvenience caused.
“The captain decided to return to Melbourne to seek assistance from the Australian Federal Police after a passenger became disruptive just less than two hours into the flight,” the airline said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia.
“We know this has been a difficult experience for other customers and our team members, and we thank those who helped with the situation.
‘Due to the circumstances, several crew members were unable to continue flying and the flight has been rescheduled for tomorrow at 10am.
‘We will provide overnight accommodation to all customers who require it and cover other reasonable expenses, including meals.
“The safety of our customers and crew is our priority.”
The Australian Federal Police are currently investigating the incident.