Surge in disorderly passengers prompts increased AFP airport patrols over Easter
A recent surge in bad behaviour by airline passengers does not bode well for the busy Easter holiday period, with federal police increasing airport patrols in preparation.
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From online threats to “blow up” commercial airliners to attempted door openings in flight, Australian Federal Police are seeing a shocking spike in bad behaviour by airline passengers ahead of some of the busiest travel days of the year.
Since the start of the year, 347 people have been charged with 408 offences, including assault, indecent acts and property damage.
Just this month, a 22-year-old southwest Sydney man was fined $10,000 for using social media to threaten an aircraft, and a 46-year-old Jordanian national charged with trying to open an emergency exit door during an international flight from Kuala Lumpur.
The attempted door opening came just days after a similar incident on a Jetstar flight from Bali, resulting in a return to Denpasar, where the alleged culprit was arrested by Indonesian authorities.
In other incidents, a West Australian man punched a wall at Perth Airport after being told he could not board a Virgin Australia flight to Melbourne due to his drunkenness.
And a domestic flight from Sydney to Mildura was cancelled due to a man’s aggressiveness towards cabin crew while taxi-ing out to the runway.
As airports braced for massive traffic through their terminals on Thursday and Friday, AFP aviation commander Craig Bellis warned there would be severe consequences for anti-social or dangerous behaviour.
“For many, the Easter holiday period is a time of celebration,” Commander Bellis said. “However, higher traveller numbers and potentially longer waiting periods can lead to a spike in bad behaviour, triggered by impatience or intoxication at our airports.”
Commander Bellis said bad behaviour not only affected the individual who faced a criminal conviction, hefty fines and airline bans, it had a much broader impact — often leading to flight cancellations and diversions.
“So far in 2025, the AFP has responded to a mixed bag of incidents at our major airports, including violent attacks, threats to ‘blow up’ flights and individuals trying to open plane doors while soaring above the clouds,” said Commander Bellis.
“Don’t ruin your holiday plans because of poor choices – your holiday destination will be much nicer than a police holding cell. Be patient, be mindful of your alcohol intake, and follow airline advice.”
In an effort to reduce disorderly behaviour by travellers over the Easter period, the AFP was increasing patrols through airport precincts.
The high-visibility patrols were designed to have a deterrent effect, and complimented the behind-the-scenes intelligence work undertaken by the AFP.
“The AFP’s responsibilities include the protection of all features of the airport environment, such as air traffic control towers, runways, hangars, aircraft and cargo terminals,” Commander Bellis said.
“Through airport perimeter inspections, intelligence-led patrols by our highly trained police and protective service officers, targeted canine sweeps and co-ordinated days of action with partner agencies, we are dedicated to pulling out all stops to protect our airports and the travelling public.”
The bumper crowds expected on Thursday included a 15 per cent increase in passengers being carried by Qantas and Jetstar.
More than 840,000 people were booked to fly on those airlines over the long weekend, or about 200,000 a day.
Virgin Australia was also operating at full capacity, with an average of 418 flights a day scheduled.
Qantas’ domestic chief executive Markus Svensson said more than 80 per cent of domestic flights were now departing on time each month, and international flights “were also performing well”.
In an effort to boost operational resilience, a number of aircraft were being placed on standby and a sixth new A220 was due to enter service for QantasLink.
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Originally published as Surge in disorderly passengers prompts increased AFP airport patrols over Easter
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