Late passenger attempts to break into plane
Passengers on board a plane waiting to depart Australia's Melbourne Airport were rattled after a passenger who was "running late" for his flight allegedly attempted to break into the aircraft while it was still parked on the tarmac.
"We were sitting waiting to get on the flight and people went 'Oh my god, what is going on?'" one passenger told Australian outlet 9News.com.au.
Jetstar flight 508 had yet to leave its parking bay when authorities said a passenger who had missed boarding a flight to Adelaide was caught on camera bounding up the stairs and attempting to force the plane’s main door open, 9News reported.
The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. on Thursday morning, according to Melbourne newspaper The Age, and after several attempts to force the plane’s door open, the passenger can be seen attempting to kick it open with his feet. The plane he was allegedly attempting to break into was bound for Sydney and wasn't even his flight, the paper reported.
The paper reported that two cabin crew members were injured in the incident but managed to restrain the passenger until police arrived.
The passenger, 57, allegedly became hostile and physically violent after he was told by Jetstar staff that he was late for his scheduled flight to Adelaide, The Age reported.
Australian Federal Police officers took the man into custody, 9News reported, and he has been charged with one count of unlawful assault on an airline employee.
The man is due to appear in front of a magistrate on June 12, 9News reported.
"We praise our crew for safely handling this incident and restraining the passenger until police arrived," Jetstar said in a statement.
"This behaviour is unacceptable and we have placed an immediate ban on this passenger travelling on all Jetstar and Qantas flights."
