Brawl over a reclining chair could see pair banned from flying for life

Don't fly and aggressively recline your seat.
 By 
Elise Cooper
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

It's 3 a.m., you're on board an overnight flight from Phuket to Sydney and you're ready to slip off into the land of nod. The only thing stopping you is a fist fight in the aisle beside you.

A man and woman are currently under investigation from the Australian Federal Police after an "incident" on board the Jetstar JQ33 Boeing 787 Dreamliner resulted in the pair being escorted off the plane by police once it landed in Sydney.

Passenger on the flight Scott Haywood spoke with radio station 3AW recounting the incident, saying that the pair were fighting over the reclining of chairs.


You May Also Like

"One of the passengers was distressed as a lady put her seat back on his mother," Haywood recounted. "It was a night flight, so it was two or three o'clock in the morning. This other passenger got out of his seat and clipped that woman's seat who did that to (the seat of his) mother three or four times " Haywood told 3AW.

The female passenger was less than impressed with the returned seat jostle and "threw a punch at that person who did that clip and then he had a throwback as well."

When quizzed on who was throwing punches at whom Haywood added "in the area there was about 12 of us who saw it all there and they were certainly laying into each other."

According to The Daily Telegraph, police have confirmed that the pair were removed from the flight once it landed in Sydney.

A statement from Jetstar sent via email said "We don’t tolerate disruptive behaviour by passengers on our flights. We will conduct a review with a view to banning these passengers travelling with us in the future."

Travelling is hard for everyone, so think before you get enraged; it could get you out of a lifetime ban from flying.

Mashable Image
Elise Cooper

Previous Watercooler Web Culture Intern - Sydney Australia // misc burden on society

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Epstein Files release: Microsoft permanently banned Jeffrey Epstein from Xbox Live
Xbox logo

The confusing U.S. router ban, explained: Which routers are banned?
Several modems and routers equipped with 5G technology are exhibited at Qualcomm's pavilion

Snag a pair of Apple AirPods Pro 3 for their lowest price yet
AirPods Pro 3 on green and light green abstract background


Score a pair of Bose Ultra Open Earbuds for $100 off
Bose Ultra Open Earbuds on pink and purple abstract background

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 4, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 4, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

Google launches Gemma 4, a new open-source model: How to try it
Google Gemma
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!