Disruptive NZ Passenger Sentenced After Mid-Air Assault Forces Emergency Landing in Melbourne

Melbourne, July 24, 2025— A 23-year-old man from New Zealand was sentenced to six months in prison and then released on a two-year good behavior bond after attacking two flight attendants on an international flight, which forced the aircraft to make an emergency landing in Melbourne.

The event took place on a flight from Perth to Auckland on October 23, 2024. The Australian Federal Police (AFP) say that the man got drunk and angry during the flight and wouldn’t follow the instructions of airline staff. He hit two crew members, both of whom were hurt but not badly.

The flight crew had to change the plane’s course to Melbourne Airport because the disturbance was so bad. There, AFP officers boarded the plane and took the unruly passenger off, who by that point had been restrained at the back of the plane.

On April 17, 2025, the man admitted to two counts of assaulting crew members, which is against Section 20A of the Crimes (Aviation) Act 1991 (Cth). On July 22, 2025, the County Court of Victoria sentenced him and told him to pay the airline $10,824 for the trouble and damage he caused.

Detective Superintendent Stephen Cook of the AFP condemned the event and stressed how important it is to keep airline workers safe. Detective Superintendent Cook said, “Airline workers should feel safe while they work.” “Being rude on a plane isn’t just annoying; it’s also very dangerous for everyone on board and can lead to emergency action, as it did in this case.”

He further stressed that the AFP remains committed to working with airline operators to respond swiftly when safety is compromised on flights or within airport premises.

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