An emergency landing was made during a flight traveling from Queensland, Australia, to the Northern Territory after two midair brawls occurred.
According to Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Northern Territory Police, belongings were thrown, a bottle was raised, and a window was smashed due to the unruly behavior of some of the passengers. As a result, four of the passengers were arrested and charged.
The brawls began when a group of passengers were standing in the aisle, and one of them waved a bottle over their head.
Alarmed by the disturbance, the flight made a U-turn back to Queensland, where a woman was charged with disorderly behavior of an aircraft, common assault, and failing to obey the safety instructions of the flight crew.
The flight attempted to take off once more, and yet again, the same group of passengers started a dispute on board. This quickly escalated into a full fight leading to the interior window of the aircraft being smashed.
When the flight eventually arrived at Alyangula on Groote Eylandt, off the east coast of the Northern Territory, three passengers were arrested by NT Police and charged with various offenses.
A male adult of 23 was charged with intentionally endangering others, aggravated assault, damage to property, disorderly behavior in a public place, and infringement of a domestic violence order.
A female adult, 23, was charged with property damage, intentionally endangering the safety of others, and disorderly conduct in a public place.
At the same time, a 22-year-old man was also charged with commercial drug supply, drug possession, disorderly behavior, and possessing liquor in a restricted area.
All of the arrested passengers are to appear in the Darwin Local Court on Monday, and this incident has left the public outraged. People wonder how a situation like this could have unfolded on a commercial flight, reminding everyone of the importance of following safety instructions and maintaining appropriate behavior onboard.