A Qantas flight from Melbourne to Dallas was briefly diverted to Tahiti over the weekend after a man on board allegedly bit a flight attendant during the 18-hour journey. The aircraft, operating as QF21, landed in Papeete so the passenger could be removed.
Fellow passengers and crew rushed to help the staff member after the alleged attack, but no serious injuries were reported. The man was met by local authorities in Tahiti’s capital and later given a no-fly ban by Qantas, while the plane refuelled and continued on to Dallas, arriving several hours late on Saturday morning AEST.
Video posted on Instagram by Mike Goldstein appeared to show part of the disruption, though it did not capture the alleged biting incident itself. The clip was filmed by a passenger seated nearby and showed a crew member warning the man, “I know you’ve been trying. Keep the language down,” before adding, “Because there’s kids everywhere. You’re acting immature... You have to behave yourself; you’re on a plane.”
Another crew member can be heard saying, “Everywhere,” and later, “You’re carrying on like a bloody two-bob watch. You’re sitting down the back … you’ve had your last chance.” The source said the man appeared to be intoxicated in the video, though that was not independently shown in the footage.
The incident happened on a long-haul international service that had already been in the air for hours when the confrontation broke out. In a statement, a Qantas spokesperson said “the safety of their customers and crew was the airline’s priority.”
The disruption drew attention because it forced an unscheduled stop on one of the carrier’s longest routes and because the alleged assault unfolded in front of other passengers. The flight resumed after the man was taken off in Papeete, and the aircraft eventually reached Dallas later than planned. Related coverage of the diversion can be found in Qantas Flight Diverted Tahiti as Liberals Lose Two to One Nation.
For Qantas, the answer to what happens next is clear: the passenger is off the aircraft, barred from future travel on the airline, and the matter is now in the hands of local authorities.
