Police were called to escort a 27-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman off the plane when it landed in Sydney last Wednesday afternoon (Oct 5) after the fight allegedly broke out between the two passengers midway through the journey from Phuket to Australia.
Finance expert Scott Haywood told Melbourne radio station 3AW he was among a group of passengers who were forced to restrain the pair, reported Australian state news agency ABC News. (See story here.)
Mr Haywood said the fight started after the woman reclined her seat back onto the man’s mother, which prompted the man to thump the woman’s chair, and then the argument became physical.
“In the area there were about 12 of us who saw it all and they were certainly laying into each other,” he told 3AW.
Mr Haywood said the incident was “distressing” but there were no serious injuries, with the two families separated in different sections of the plane, reported ABC.
“Investigations remain ongoing and as such, it would not be appropriate to comment further,” an AFP spokesman said.
In a statement provided to several media outlets, Jetstar said it did not tolerate “disruptive behaviour” on its flights.
“We will conduct a review with a view to banning these passengers travelling with us in the future,” the airline said.
Craig Ferguson, Consul-General Phuket told The Phuket News, “This comes on the back of the Australian government’s smartraveller campaign encouraging Australians to ‘Stay Classy in the Air’.
“Through our advisories at smartraveller.gov.au we urge Australians to act responsibly and exercise common sense at all times. Courtesy and respect for other travellers goes with that,” he said.
To read Consul Craig Ferguson’s exclusive interview with The Phuket News explaining the ‘Stay classy in the air’ campaign, click here.