Australian airline Qantas was forced to divert a flight bound for the United States after a passenger caused a mid-air disturbance, with local media reporting that the man allegedly bit a flight attendant.
The flight, which was travelling from Melbourne to Dallas, was diverted on Wednesday and made an unscheduled stop in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, following the incident.
The man was reportedly restrained by other passengers during the disruption. Local media, including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), reported that he had bitten a Qantas crew member.
Upon landing, the passenger was escorted off the aircraft by local authorities and has since been banned from all Qantas flights.
“Customer and crew safety is our number one priority, and we have zero tolerance for disruptive or threatening behaviour on our flights,” a Qantas spokesperson told AFP.
