WA woman charged with assaulting airline crew and AFP officers on New Zealand to Sydney flight
A West Australian woman has been charged after she allegedly attacked airline crew on an international flight then assaulted police when the plane landed.
Australian Federal Police said the drama unfolded on a flight from New Zealand to Sydney on Monday night after crew repeatedly spoke to the 44-year-old about her “inappropriate, disruptive and antisocial behaviour”.
They say she became physically and verbally abusive, and when two AFP officers boarded the plane at Sydney Airport to remove her, she refused to follow instructions.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.It is alleged the woman then inflicted “scratches to their arms and elbows”.
She was charged with multiple offences including assaulting a crew member of Division 3 aircraft, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ imprisonment.
The woman appeared in the Downing Centre Local Court in Sydney on Tuesday and is due back in June.
It comes after the AFP said there had been a spike in arrests for bad behaviour at Australian airports.
Nationally, its aviation team charged 347 people between January 1 and April 9, with 52 of those in WA.
Daniel Hunt, the AFP’s acting commander for Sydney Airport, said disruptive or antisocial behaviour onboard aircraft or within Australian airports would not be tolerated.
“All passengers and airline staff have the right to feel safe and it would be particularly frightening to be trapped in a confined space in the air with someone behaving badly,” he said.
“AFP officers responding to calls for assistance at our airports should be able to do so without being subjected to such violence and aggression.
“Travellers who break the law will be dealt with swiftly.”
