QF774: West Australian charged with common assault after allegedly pushing cabin crew when told to leave seat
A man accused of assaulting a cabin crew member and disrupting other passengers before his plane even left the airport has been charged by the Australian Federal Police.
A man accused of assaulting a cabin crew member and disrupting other passengers before his plane even left Perth Airport for Melbourne has been charged by the Australian Federal Police.
The 57-year-old is due before Perth Magistrates Court after he allegedly pushed a crew member as his flight was preparing to depart Perth on Friday.
An AFP spokesperson said the WA man was “seated in an exit row” when he started “behaving aggressively towards airline staff”.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.The man then left his seat, entered the toilet, before returning back to his designated seat.
Airline staff then assessed the man as “unsuitable to remain seated in the exit row and asked him to move seats”.
They allege the man then tried to retrieve his luggage from an overhead locker before he “pushed a cabin manager with both hands to the chest”.
“Another passenger assisted cabin crew by restraining the man, before he left the aircraft when directed by airline staff,” the spokesperson said.
Officers responded to the request for assistance by airline staff before they arrested the man.
He was charged with common assault and will face court on Saturday.
Footage taken on the flight and obtained by 7NEWS showed a person yelling profanities on the flight.
The flight and its returning service were cancelled as a result of the ordeal.
A Qantas spokesperson said the safety of customers and crew was the “number one priority” and that the airline had “zero tolerance for disruptive or threatening behaviour on our flights”.
