Police vow to crack down on air rage after sleeping passenger attacked on Qantas flight

POLICE have vowed to get tough on midair violence after a vicious attack on a sleeping passenger on a Qantas flight.

Jet Plane, Qantas 747, Aeroplane. passenger jet.

AUSTRALIAN police have vowed to crack down on air rage after a vicious attack on a sleeping passenger on a Qantas flight.

The victim was repeatedly punched in the face by a stranger on a flight from Manila to Sydney.

On the third strike, he tried to block the strikes and yelled for crew assistance.

The victim suffered abrasions and lacerations was treated by a doctor on board.

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Australian Federal Police officers who were on the flight then detained the alleged attacker until the plane landed at Sydney Airport.

A 36-year-old man from Kiama, NSW, has been charged over the attack and has been bailed to reappear in Sydney’s Downing Local Court on September 30.

The attack is the latest in a spate of midair incidents involving unruly passengers, with the AFP and international authorities expressing vowing to crack down.

Other recent high-profile incidents have included:

• A Perth man was charged with failing to follow directions from the crew and acting in a disorderly manner after he allegedly abused fellow passengers and crew on a Virgin Australia flight, forcing the plane to return to Perth last month.

• Also last month, an Australian man was detained by police in Bangkok after reportedly hitting another passenger over the head with a bottle of bourbon on a Thai Airways flight from Sydney. However, no charges were laid.

• In May, a Scoot flight from Sydney to Singapore made an unscheduled stop in Bali after a midair fight between a husband and wife left a woman with a suspected broken arm.

• In April, pilots on a Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to Denpasar triggered a hijack alarm when Queensland plumber Matt Christopher Lockley banged on the cockpit door. He is scheduled to face trial in October.

Between 2007 and 2013, more than 28,000 cases of unruly passenger incidents on board aircraft in flight were reported internationally.

These incidents include violence against crew and other passengers, harassment and failure to follow safety instructions.

AFP aviation manager Michael Chew warned violent behaviour on flights was unacceptable.

“The AFP will not tolerate this type of behaviour. Aviation safety is a serious matter, and abusive behaviour poses a serious risk to the travelling public,” Commander Chew said.

“Those who behave violently on board aircraft can expect to be charged.”

Earlier this year, the International Air Transport Association moved to introduce an international agreement to “provide an effective deterrent for unacceptable behaviour on board aircraft”.

The deal would extend the jurisdiction over offence to the destination country of the flight and close a loophole which allowed many serious offences to escape legal action.

It is awaiting sign-offs from governments around the world.

Originally published as Police vow to crack down on air rage after sleeping passenger attacked on Qantas flight