A bizarre incident unfolded at Melbourne Airport on Thursday when a passenger on a Jetstar flight from Sydney exited the plane through an emergency exit and walked along the wing before climbing down a jet engine to the tarmac.
According to officials, the passenger, who has not been named, opened the right-side exit of the Airbus A320, which automatically deployed a slide from the back of the wing to the ground. However, instead of using the slide, the man chose to walk along the wing and climb down one of the engines.
Passenger Audrey Varghese described the scene as chaotic, saying that the man had been exhibiting “erratic” behavior shortly before he opened the hatch. “He immediately got up and basically charged to where the emergency exit row is, and in the process shoving people, causing a bit of commotion, (and) ripped open the emergency door,” Varghese told Melbourne Radio 3AW.
Another passenger, Maddison, reported that the man had been vaping during the flight, which is not allowed, and had also demanded that the air crew provide him with alcohol, which was refused.
The man was arrested by Australian Federal Police officers, who were alerted by Jetstar staff, for “alleged aggressive behavior and breaching aircraft safety protocols.” He was assessed by paramedics and taken to a hospital for further evaluation.
Melbourne Airport officials praised the response of ground crew, who restrained the man on the tarmac before police arrived. Social media images showed at least three ground staff holding the man down.
The incident caused a delay in the unloading of luggage, with passengers waiting for hours to collect their bags. However, the airport reported that the baggage was eventually released.
The police are continuing to investigate the incident, and charges are likely to be laid at a later date.
