Wild ‘air-rage’ on Darwin to Sydney flight ends in assault charge

A passenger has been accused of hitting an Australian flight attendant in the back with a crutch as police report a concerning trend of “air-rage”.

Asking for a meal after food service is complete. Choosing to go to the bathroom when a service cart is in the aisle. Standing up when the seatbelt sign is still on.

Flight attendants will tell you, despite the constant smile, passengers on planes can be annoying.

But none of that even comes close to the nightmare cabin crew on a flight from Darwin to Sydney had to deal with last week.

When a 37-year-old passenger boarded the plane with crutches and an injured leg, the cabin crew were quick to move him to an empty row to make him more comfortable.

But news.com.au can reveal when another passenger allocated a seat from that row arrived, things took a turn.

The injured man was accused of taking up the other passenger’s seat and refusing to move.

He then allegedly became aggressive towards a crew member and the other passenger, using explicit and offensive language.

So much so, passengers around him were moved to de-escalate the situation.

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Australian Federal Police officers have reported an increasing trend in “air-rage”.

Later on during the flight, while the seatbelt sign was on, the man allegedly stood up to get his crutches from the overhead storage and refused to listen to cabin crew telling him to stop.

While that was it for the flight, it wasn’t over.

The crew member was walking through Sydney Airport when police allege the 37-year-old targeted him and hit him in the back with a crutch, leaving him with injuries.

The passenger was issued with a court attendance notice from police in relation to assault, threaten and intimidate crew as well as failing to comply with cabin crew safety instruction.

Police concerned about ‘air-rage’ trend

That is just one of hundreds of incidents at Australian airports or on flights this year being dubbed “air-rage”.

A 36-year-old was fined $1110 in June for not complying with a cabin crew safety instruction after they became upset and made “loud disparaging remarks regarding the airline and the crew” on-board a flight from Gold Coast to Sydney.

Flight delays and lost baggage have created a tense environment at Australian airports. Picture: John Grainger

The outburst was prompted by the plane being forced to return to the terminal at Gold Coast Airport due to delays and Sydney Airport curfews.

Regular domestic flights cannot takeoff or land between 11pm and 6am in Sydney, so if a delay at another airport causes a new arrival time in Sydney between these hours, it cannot take off at all.

Police said crew members feared the passengers’ behaviour would incite other passengers to become disruptive.

The maximum penalty for unruly behaviour on an aircraft is a $9000 fine and interfering with crew or aircraft is up to two years imprisonment.

Police have also noticed an increase in violent behaviour in disputes over taxis and rideshare cars outside airports. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Nikki Short

Australian Federal Police officers have reported a trend of passengers creating public disturbances – referred to informally as “air-rage” – as a result of missed flights, travel delays and baggage issues.

They have also reported a trend of violent behaviour outside of terminals involving disputes over taxis or rideshare cars.

Across major airports the AFP have responded to 628 public disturbances, 120 cases of intoxication and offensive behaviour, and 58 assaults so far this year.

There have already been almost 30 per cent more assaults than last year.

Melbourne had the highest number of public disturbances, followed by Sydney and Perth.

Melbourne also had the highest number of assaults, with one more than Sydney, and then Sydney had the most cases of intoxication or offensive behaviour.

AFP Commander Peter Bodel said the AFP was committed to supporting airport staff to make all journeys safe.

“Airport staff are trained to streamline security processes and make sure everyone has a safe flight,” he said.

“It is disappointing when a small number of passengers show violent or abusive behaviour towards people who are trying to do their jobs, so we are urging passengers to do the right thing.”

If you require police presence at an airport or wish to report an incident or provide information, call the AFP’s Airport Watch on 131 AFP (131 237).

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Originally published as Wild ‘air-rage’ on Darwin to Sydney flight ends in assault charge