A Jetstar flight from Bali to Melbourne was forced to turn back after a disruptive passenger attempted to open an aircraft door while the plane was flying over the Indian Ocean, the airline confirmed on Tuesday.
The incident occurred on Monday night, 31 March, when a female passenger seated at the rear of the aircraft lifted the door handle before a warning signal alerted the crew.
A fellow passenger intervened and pulled her away from the door before further escalation.
The plane, identified as flight JQ-34, turned around approximately an hour into its journey and returned to Denpasar’s Ngurah Rai International Airport, where local authorities removed and arrested the passenger.
Motive Behind the Incident
According to Brooke Jowett, a passenger (and Australian TV show star) who was on the flight, the woman was trying to move to a better seat.
“She wanted to sit in a different row and have a chair that could recline, so she decided to try to open the doors,” Jowett said.
Jetstar has since banned the woman from flying with the airline for the foreseeable future.
Jetstar Responds to Incident
Jetstar emphasized that passenger safety is its top priority and condemned the behavior.
“The safety and welfare of our customers and crew is our top priority, and we thank them for the way they responded to the situation,” the airline said. “This sort of unacceptable behavior will never be tolerated on our flights.”
The airline confirmed that over 200 passengers were affected and rebooked onto alternative flights.
