Jetstar passenger arrested after he allegedly forced open emergency exit door after landing in Melbourne

A passenger has been arrested after triggering a major emergency at Melbourne Airport after he allegedly forced open an emergency exit door and walked on the wing of the plane.

The man was aboard flight JQ507 that had just arrived from Sydney at 9.58am, when the drama unfolded.

A Jetstar spokesperson has confirmed the emergency slide of the Airbus A320-200 automatically deployed when the door was opened.

It is understood the man did not go down the slide but instead walked along the wing of the aircraft.

Another passenger on the flight told SkyNews that the man stood up from his seat after landing, ignoring instructions from the flight crew to sit down.

“When we actually pulled up to the gate he reached over to the emergency exit, pulled it. Everyone at that point was screaming at him telling him to stop,” he said.

Other passengers attempted to restrain the man but he “jumped right on through”.

“It was quite dramatic,” he said.

Radio producer Audrey Varghese told Melbourne radio 3AW of shoving and screams during the commotion.

“People were just screaming because of how strange this behaviour was,” she said.

“There were multiple attempts of the air hostesses telling him to sit down again.

“As soon as the plane had started coming to a stop he immediately got up and basically charged to where the emergency exit row is and in the process shoving people, causing a bit of commotion, ripped open the emergency door, and the slide was deployed and he jumped off the plane.”

An AFP spokesperson said officers arrested a man for alleged aggressive behaviour and breaching aircraft safety protocols after receiving a request for assistance from airline staff.

“The man was assessed by ambulance officers and later transferred to hospital for further assessment, where he remains.

“AFP is continuing to investigate this matter, and charges are likely to be laid at a future date.”

— with AAP