Pilot threatens rowdy Aussies on Thailand flight
A pilot threatened to divert a flight from Sydney to Thailand because rowdy Australian tourists were drinking their own duty-free alcohol and abusing cabin crew.
The trouble started just minutes into the Jetstar JQ 27 flight to Phuket which left Sydney at 2.25pm on Wednesday.
A group of men sitting at the back of the plane breached airline rules by drinking their own alcohol they had bought from duty-free.
Cabin crew twice asked them to stop but the men verbally abused them, continued to drink and got increasingly rowdy.
After two cabin crew announcements, the pilot was forced to issue an extraordinary threat three hours into the flight.
Via the intercom, the pilot said if the men did not stop they would be arrested in Thailand and deported immediately to Australia.
In an audio recording of the pilot’s speech, he can be heard calmly saying: ‘We want to continue on and have an easy time.
‘I would ask you to refrain from drinking and refrain from abusing the crew.’ The pilot then sets out another option if the men do not obey him.
‘Option two I’ll divert the aircraft and offload you,’ he can be heard saying.
‘Sorry for the stern warning but I can’t have my crew in jeopardy.
‘Once again I would ask you please stop drinking and listen to the direction of the crew.’
It appears this warning did the trick as the men the calmed down and the flight landed as expected in Phuket.
A passenger on board told Daily Mail Australia: ‘About three hours into my flight, the pilot made an announcement about a group of men drinking at the rear of the plane.
‘It followed at least two cabin crew announcements reminding flyers that you can’t drink duty-free alcohol on the aircraft.
‘He warned two options if they continued drinking. Either they’d be arrested in Thailand and deported to Australia, or our flight would be diverted to drop them off.
‘A few hours later the pilot made another announcement warning people against drinking duty-free alcohol during the flight and commended the men for improving their behaviour.’
