A Air A New Zealand passenger on a crowded plane has been arrested after allegedly assaulting a crew member, forcing the international flight to be diverted.
Flight NZ176 from Perth to Auckland was due to land in Melbourne about three hours after the 1.40am flight on Wednesday.
Australian Federal Police officers boarded the plane shortly afterwards and took the 23-year-old New Zealand man away.
He was charged with assaulting crew members who interfered with the execution of their duty and will appear at Broadmeadows Magistrates Court on Thursday.
Passengers waited on the tarmac for 90 minutes before departing for the unplanned second leg of their journey.
An Air New Zealand spokesperson said while the crew had handled the incident well, it would have been confronting for passengers.
“Incidents like this are distressing for our customers and our people and we will not tolerate this type of behavior on our aircraft,” spokesman David Morgan said.
An Air New Zealand flight from Perth to Auckland was forced to land at Melbourne airport after a passenger allegedly assaulted a staff member on Wednesday morning (stock image)
It comes after AFP changed a reported bomb threat from another incident on Air New Zealand flight NZ-247 as it approached Sydney from Wellington about 4.50pm on Saturday.
The flight was cleared to land and landed safely at 5.37pm, but more than 30 emergency services crews were met on the tarmac, while the tactical operations unit, paramedics and firefighters were all called to the scene.
The A320 aircraft, which was carrying 154 staff and passengers, was isolated on a separate runway at the airport for about an hour before being transferred to a terminal.
An AFP spokesperson said the incident did not pose a danger to the public but that “investigations are continuing.”
According to reports, incoming flights were initially placed in a holding pattern before landings resumed.
The passenger was escorted from the flight by AFP shortly after it landed, accusing him of assaulting the crew which influenced the performance of their duty (stock image)
Aerial photographs of the airport showed NSW fire and rescue crews at the airport alongside AFP officers.
“We are working with local authorities and following standard protocols put in place for such incidents,” Mr Morgan said.
“The safety and security of all passengers and crew is our highest priority.”