Jetstar passenger arrested after opening plane's emergency exit door

[Greg Hyde]

Jetstar passenger arrested after opening plane's emergency exit door at Melbourne Airport

Australian Federal Police officers have arrested a passenger on board a Jetstar flight after he opened the emergency exit door on arrival into Melbourne.

The airline says the JQ507 flight arriving at 10am from Sydney was parked at

Melbourne Airport's gate 43 at the time.
The emergency slide was deployed when the emergency exit was opened, but the man walked along the wing and slid down the engine to the ground where he was arrested.

Other passengers on the flight were all seated at the time.

In a statement, a Melbourne Airport spokesperson said the passenger was immediately detained by ground staff and arrested.

"Melbourne Airport is proud of the exceptional response from ground crew, which meant there was no immediate danger to other passengers or airport staff," they said.

The Australian Federal Police (AFP) said the man was arrested "for aggressive behaviour and breaching aircraft safety protocols."

"The man was assessed by ambulance officers and later transferred to hospital for further assessment," an AFP spokesperson said.

The AFP said charges were likely to be laid at a future date.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-08-...-afp/104256044