There were minutes of panic on a Qantas flight taking off from Melbourne, Australia, and heading to Dallas, United States. The plane was forced to change course for an unusual reason. According to local media reports, shortly after takeoff a passenger bit a flight attendant. The plane therefore made an unscheduled stopover in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia.
According to the Australian broadcaster ABC and other media, the man was restrained by other passengers before landing and was taken into custody by local authorities upon arrival. Once stopped, the plane refueled and left without problems for the United States.
Hard fist from Qantas
Now light must be shed on the dynamics of the affair, clarifying the reasons that led the man to bite the flight attendant. Meanwhile, Qantas uses a strong fist and announces that the passenger has been banned from all company flights. “The safety of our customers and staff is our top priority and we have zero tolerance for threatening or aggressive behavior on board,” a company spokesperson said.
Qantas Airways Limited is the flag carrier of Australia and its largest airline by fleet size, flights and international destinations. It is the third oldest airline in the world still in operation, after KLM (Netherlands) and Avianca (Colombia): it was founded in November 1920 and began international passenger flights in May 1935.