A violent brawl broke out aboard a Jetstar flight and police had to drag three passengers off the plane once landed, including a shirtless traveler.
The fight broke out on Thursday, on an afternoon flight from Denpasar, Bali, with shocking footage showing passengers screaming and pleading for an end to the fight. Travelers were shocked by the violent behavior, which occurred just two hours into the journey.
A man is heard urging one of the men involved in the fight to “knock him out”, referring to another passenger involved in the altercation. Witnesses said one of the men became violent with another couple just two hours after takeoff, causing six people to flee the brawl.
The flight crew was forced to intervene as the pilot threatened to make an emergency landing unless the fighting stopped. The situation was described as “distressing” for all aboard, with the crew receiving support after dealing with violence.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) told NCA NewsWire that one woman and two male passengers were escorted off the plane once the plane landed in Brisbane. Several spectators could be heard clapping and cheering as the police boarded the plane, with one man yelling “Don’t come back.”
“The three passengers complied with police instructions to disembark,” an AFP spokesman said. “No one has been charged in connection with the incident.”
In a statement released to NCA NewsWire, a Jetstar spokesperson said the incident was being investigated and acknowledged it would be “very painful” for passengers.
“This type of violent and disruptive behavior is completely unacceptable and will never be tolerated on our flights,” the spokesman said. “This has also been an extremely difficult situation for our team and we are supporting them.”
The airline confirmed that two male passengers received temporary bans on flying with Jetstar and Qantas pending a formal review.
