A Virgin Australia passenger who allegedly ran through the aircraft cabin naked while midflight has been arrested after the plane returned to Perth Airport (PER), Australia, following the incident.
The Virgin Australia Boeing 737 was on route to Melbourne Airport (MEL) on May 27, 2024, when the male passenger became disruptive.
As well as running through the cabin naked the passenger also allegedly knocked a Virgin cabin crew member to the ground.
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) arrested the man when the aircraft returned to Perth Airport just before 20:00 after only an hour of flying, according to ABC News Australia.
“We can confirm on Monday 27 May, VA696 Perth to Melbourne, returned to Perth,” the statement read. On arrival in Perth, the aircraft was met by the Australian Federal Police and the disruptive guest was offloaded,” Virgin said in a statement.
The airline added: “The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority and we sincerely apologize to guests impacted.”
The AFP also confirmed that following the passenger’s arrest he was transferred to a hospital for assessment.
“AFP officers arrested a man after he allegedly ran naked through the aircraft mid-flight and knocked a crew member to the floor,” a spokesperson for the AFP said.
The exact charges the man will face have yet to be finalized but it’s expected that he will appear in court on June 12, 2024.