A shirtless passenger who sparked a mid-air brawl on a Singapore-bound flight was arrested after the plane made an emergency landing in Sydney.
Key points:
- Witnesses say the man was drinking heavily before becoming aggressive
- Video shows the passenger being pinned down by bystanders
- Passengers were put on alternative flights to Singapore
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) confirmed they took a "disruptive male passenger" into custody at Sydney International Airport yesterday from a Scoot plane that departed from the Gold Coast.
Video recorded by passengers on the budget-airline flight showed two men throwing punches at one another, before one is put into a chokehold by the other.
After bystanders and cabin crew managed to separate the two, one of the men was seen talking to a flight attendant before suddenly taking his shirt off and attacking someone.
Within moments, several male passengers jumped on the attacker and pinned him down in the aisle — photos showed a shirtless man with his hands bound on the ground.
A witness said a man was drinking heavily after the flight departed and about 20 minutes into the flight he had become aggressive.
A Scoot spokesperson said during take-off the man "appeared normal" but soon began disturbing surrounding passengers.
In an attempt to diffuse the situation, flight attendants moved them to other seats and were instructed to no longer sell alcohol to him.
About two hours into the flight, the unruly man punched another person and was subdued with restraining kits.
The man who was punched did not need medical attention.
An Air Services Australia spokeswoman confirmed the captain of the flight made a request to land at Sydney International Airport.
In a statement to passengers who complained about feeling unsafe, the airline said it regretted the "flight disruption".
Alternative flights to Singapore were organised for passengers.
The AFP said no charges had been laid.
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