Jetstar flight turns around after serious brawl on board

JETSTAR AIRBUS A320-232 VH-VQQ (MSN 2537)

A Jetstar flight travelling from Melbourne (MEL/YMML) to Brisbane (BNE/YBBN) diverted back to Melbourne on Tuesday night after a “terrifying” mid-air brawl broke out.

Video taken inside the plane shows the wild moment punches were thrown before passengers tried to pull two feuding men apart.

The fight started just 10 minutes into the flight on Tuesday night.

The aircraft got airborne from runway 34 at 10.00pm local time and returned 26 minutes later on runway 27.

The plane’s pilots made the decision to return to Melbourne Airport, where Australian Federal Police officers removed two men.

“There was a commotion, there was yelling, people started standing up, it went on for a couple of minutes,” a passenger told reporters.

“One gentleman was then escorted to the rear of the aircraft; he had blood all over his face... we didn’t hear anything else; we had no information.”

Another passenger said one of the men was “aggressive” before he boarded the flight.

After the men were removed by Federal Police, the plane took off once again and flew to Brisbane.

“The safety of our passengers and our crew is always our first priority, and we thank our customers for their patience,” a Jetstar spokesperson said.

The flight departed for the second time at 11.42pm Tuesday night and arrived in Brisbane 12.25am Wednesday Morning. (Brisbane is one hour behind the southern states due to day light savings)

Aircraft Information:

Airline: Jetstar

Code: JQ/JST

Aircraft: Airbus A320-232

Registration: VH-VQQ

Serial Number: 2537

Engines: 2 x IAE V2527-A5

First Flew: 09/09/2005

Age: 17Yrs. 1 Mth