Qantas Flight Diverts to Tahiti After Passenger Incident

A Qantas flight traveling from Melbourne to Dallas diverted to Tahiti on Friday after a passenger was removed from the aircraft. The plane landed in the Tahitian capital of Papeete, where the passenger was handed over to local police. The individual was also issued a ban from flying with Qantas.

Video footage uploaded to social media by comedian Mike Goldstein shows the passenger stumbling out of a lavatory while adjusting a belt. The passenger is heard swearing at staff and passengers while asking a flight attendant if he had smoked marijuana.

Flight attendants instructed the passenger to behave. Several passengers stood to help restrain the individual. The footage shows Tahitian police boarding the aircraft and the passenger lying face down on the floor while being held. The footage does not show any alleged biting of a crew member.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the passenger is not an Australian national.

A Qantas spokesperson said the safety of customers and crew is the airline's top priority and that the carrier maintains zero tolerance for disruptive behavior on its flights. The aircraft refueled in Papeete and continued to Texas, arriving several hours behind schedule.