Fijivillage
Chaos erupted aboard a Fiji Airways flight when crew members were forced to take drastic measures to control an unruly passenger, described as “intoxicated” and belligerent.
The incident unfolded during flight FJ871 from San Francisco to Nadi last Saturday.
In captured video, the woman, reportedly a 69-year-old Australian, can be seen resisting as flight attendants try to restrain her with duct tape.
Witnesses described her behavior as “racist and vulgar,” with one fellow passenger recounting she was emotionally abusive, threatened others, and even threw objects like cups at the cabin crew, as reported by Fijivillage.
“She had also slapped the hands of a flight attendant,” one passenger said. Her actions escalated to the point crew members had to tape her mouth shut to curb further tantrums.
The spectacle began roughly halfway into the 11-hour journey.
The woman reportedly “caused great distress to all nearby passengers and crew by screaming and yelling abuse,” a witness said. Despite being moved to the back of the flight, her outbursts persisted the remainder of the flight.
Passengers were outraged by the woman’s racism at the Fijian crew and asked her to shut up.
Authorities, waiting at the gate when the flight landed, arrested the woman under Fiji’s Civil Aviation Act and charged her with being an unruly passenger. She remains in the custody of immigration officials and is scheduled to appear in the Nadi Magistrates Court.
Fiji Airways has since confirmed the incident, saying it’s now part of a legal investigation. According to Fiji’s Civil Aviation Authority, airlines can take reasonable measures against disruptive passengers.
