Jetstar flight is forced to turn around after a ‘drunk’ passenger terrorised cabin crew sparking mid-air chaos
A mother on board a Jetstar plane that had to turn around mid-flight due to the ‘intimidating’ and threateningly distraught staff of a disruptive passenger has spoken out about the terrifying ordeal.
Jetstar flight JQ964 from Brisbane to Perth returned to the Queensland capital around 11.30pm on Tuesday evening, two and a half hours after departure.
A passenger who was on board with her two young children said the flight was turned back due to “some panicky moments.”
She claimed an unruly passenger “harassed some women” before being moved the back of the plane.
“A flight attendant said he had threatened… we don’t know exactly what he said, but the flight attendant was talking to a passenger in front of us and she was quite upset and distraught,” she said. The Western Australia.
The passenger spoke to other travelers on board, who claimed they saw the man following a young flight attendant down the aisle and turning “evil eyes” at seated passengers.
“I tried not to look back to see what was happening, but the flight attendant came by at one point… and she looked quite tearful and upset, while the man was literally standing behind her,” she added.
A disruptive passenger on a Jetstar flight traveling from Brisbane to Perth forced the flight to return
Passengers heading to Perth spent another night in Brisbane after their Jetstar flight was turned around
The passenger felt sorry for the flight attendant because she was young and “he chased her all the way.”
She also claimed the man was drunk and smelled of alcohol.
“Another passenger also got into an argument with him and tried to calm him down, but he didn’t listen to him either,” she said.
Less than three hours into the flight, the crew ‘discreetly’ informed the passengers to prepare for landing.
The woman said no one knew they would land in Brisbane.
The man was escorted from the plane by police when it landed back in Brisbane, where he was banned from flying.
It is not known whether the man will take further action.
A Jetstar spokesperson thanked passengers for their “understanding” and said safety is the airline’s top priority
Passengers were transported to a hotel for the night and put on a ‘rescue flight’ the next morning.
“We appreciate customers’ understanding and patience as our crew managed the situation in the air and, once back in Brisbane, worked to get them back on the road,” a Jetstar spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
“We will never tolerate disruptive behavior on our aircraft as safety is our first priority.”
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Australian Federal Police for further comment.