A male passenger was arrested at Australia’s Melbourne Airport after allegedly opening the emergency exit door on a grounded plane and going onto the tarmac.
The incident happened following domestic Jetstar Flight JQ507, a one-hour and forty-five-minute trip from Sydney to Melbourne. CBS News detailed that while the Airbus A320 was at its terminal gate, the male made his unauthorized exit via the right-side emergency door.
According to USA Today, Australian officials haven’t disclosed any identifying information about the passenger. Cam Beaman, a representative of Melbourne Airport, told the publication that the Australian Federal Police made their arrest after airport staff apprehended the rouge passenger. A police statement reportedly cited the man’s “alleged aggressive behavior and breaching aircraft safety protocols.”
“The passenger exited via the emergency exit and walked along the wing before making his way down to the ground via the engine,” Jetstar spokesperson Alana Grech told USA Today. “We thank our passengers for their patience and understanding while our team assisted the AFP to manage this incident.”
What Was The Response To The Jetstar JQ507 Emergency Plane Door Incident?
Jetstar is a subsidiary of Australia’s national carrier, Qantas.
Audrey Varghese, a Flight JQ507 passenger, spoke on the 3AW Mornings’ Tom Elliott radio show about the incident. She told the host that the unruly man exhibited “strange behavior.” She alleged that the male passenger rose from his seat before the plane stopped moving – while the seatbelt sign was still on – despite air hostesses telling him to sit down. The observer’s story corroborated that this wasn’t a mid-flight incident.
“As soon as the plane had started coming to a stop, he immediately got up and basically charged to where the emergency exit row is, and in the process was shoving people,” Varghese explained. “[He was] causing a bit of commotion, (then) ripped open the emergency door…”
The witness claimed that the plane’s emergency slide “was deployed” and that the man “jumped off the plane.” However, contrary to news outlets’ reporting, she was unclear whether he walked on the wing.
“I was really shocked at first. My friend and I were talking at the time and then as soon as we heard someone shrieking we sort of froze. We were quite terrified,” Varghese recalled.
