A passenger was arrested at Melbourne Airport on Thursday after he opened the emergency exit of a stationary Jetstar plane and walked along the wing before climbing down the jet engine to the tarmac.
The incident occurred on Jetstar Flight JQ507, which had arrived from Sydney and was parked at a terminal gate.
The man, whose identity has not been released, exhibited "erratic" behavior before opening the exit, according to passenger Audrey Varghese.
"The man was exhibiting some quite strange behavior. As soon as the plane had started coming to a stop, 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.
According to another eye witness, the man had been vaping and demanding alcohol during the flight.
He was restrained by ground staff and aircrew before being arrested by Australian Federal Police officers.
The man was taken to a hospital for further assessment and is expected to face charges related to breaching aircraft safety protocols.
Melbourne Airport praised the response of ground crew, saying it ensured there was no immediate danger to other passengers or staff.
The incident comes amid a surge in unruly passenger behavior on flights globally.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in the US has referred over 310 cases to the FBI for criminal prosecution review since late 2021.
