With growing incidents of unruly behaviour by in-flight passengers, airlines, governments, and travellers are becoming increasingly concerned about the assaults on crew and other passengers, harassment and disregard for safety and public health directives. One such incident occurred on a Virgin Australia flight on Wednesday where a pilot was forced to leave the cockpit to physically remove the man from the aircraft after he refused to cooperate, Sky News reported.
The incident took place on a Townsville-Sydney flight when the aircraft was on the ground at Townsville Airport. A man wearing a bucket hat and yellow crocs is seen arguing with the airline crew in a video posted on Twitter. The pilot can be heard saying, "You're off mate." However, the passenger can be seen abusing the pilot and grabbing him by his shirt during a physical fight in the front area of the plane. The pilot could also be heard saying to "let go."
With the help from a flight attendant and another passenger, the man was pulled backwards toward the aircraft door and out of view of the cameras as he keeps yelling. "You're a f***ing idiot," the man is heard saying in the now viral video. "I didn't do nothing c***." The pilot could be heard shouting "get the cops" following what seemed to be another physical altercation of the man with the flight attendant. A few seconds later, the passenger finally left the aircraft.
The video of the incident was originally posted on TikTok by Ben Mckay. The user claimed that the man had "one too many" before their flight to Sydney took off.
According to News.com.au, the airline said that the passenger was removed from the flight owing to his unruly and disruptive behaviour. Police was called to the airport and travel restrictions were also imposed on the passenger.
"The safety of guests and crew is our number one priority and we have zero tolerance for any type of unruly behaviour on Virgin Australia flights," a company spokeswoman told News.com.au. "Incidents are referred to the Australian Federal Police or State Police where appropriate."
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In the evening, Queensland Police told the outlet that they had escorted a man from the airport. Although no one has been charged, the incident is still being looked into.
