Qantas flight 21 from Melbourne to Dallas-Fort Worth diverted to Tahiti on Friday to remove a passenger who bit a flight attendant. The Boeing 787-9 wound up arriving in Dallas 3 hours and 23 minutes late.
One passenger on board the aircraft even says that the disruptive man, a New Zealander, was restrained and “sedatives were administered” but those “and didn’t have an effect.” An ACARS message to the cockpit confirms the biting story, and that passengers helped take down the man.
Fa’a’a International Airport, Papeete, Tahiti
- Update: Here’s video from the incident.
Some people shouldn't drink on planes, or mix the booze with some other things?
Video by @MikeGStein of the guy who is likely thinking about his life choices in a cell in Tahiti wondering how he's gonna get back home! https://t.co/Ihokpm7X6g pic.twitter.com/xyE7l68C10
— Analytic Flying (@analyticflying) May 17, 2026
The aircraft, registered as VH-ZNB, continued its rotation and departed Dallas back for Melbourne less than 3 hours after arrival on Friday night.
LIVE: Qantas #QF21 Melbourne to Dallas (Boeing 787-9 VH-ZNB) is continuing from Tahiti after diverting due to a disruptive passenger who bit a crew member (info from ACARS via https://t.co/DldPHT6XAc ). Track: https://t.co/fbVtlrhRie
DFW webcam: https://t.co/N9WKA6eBog#avgeek pic.twitter.com/qasA2nZaxY
— Airport Webcams (@AirportWebcams) May 15, 2026
It was just March when a passenger bit a JetBlue flight attendant. Here’s a United passenger who bit his seatmate’s ear off. And here’s a Frontier passenger who bit a cop after being removed from a flight in Miami.
Hangry?
DETAILS !
I suppose that’s one way to get an in-flight snack.
And just think, had it been CX, the passenger could have had a succulent Chinese meal!
All strategy, free stopover in Tahiti
Qantas used to be generous on board with quality food and beverage
Apparently there were no other options left so pax took matters into their own hands
The only other explanation is revenge for stingy QF award seat allocations in One World
Rabies? 🙂
Probably shoulda just stayed in Tahiti…
Much preferred over Dallas…
@Mike Hunt — Dim sum? More like dim… yum! (Be honest, would you still fly CX with all the draconian data-surveillance?)
Yep, take shots for rabies.
Did a fight attendant ever bite a passenger?
I was this many years old when I learned what a “two bob watch” is.
Ten years in prison and permanent No Fly List. Let the lowlife crowd no if you FA in the skies you FO.
Coward, Noel: “Why do the Wrong People Travel?”
He apparently was not Australian and has been banned from Qantas/Jetstar.
Virginia is for lovers