A young man from Victoria, Australia, is facing up to 12 years imprisonment for allegedly assaulting a flight attendant on an international flight from Phuket to Melbourne.
According to the Australian Federal Police (AFP), the 21-year-old, whose name was not revealed, allegedly grabbed a female flight attendant's shoulders and shook her. The bizarre motive behind the attack was that the flight attendant refused his request to hug him on board the April 1 flight, per the AFP.
After assaulting the flight attendant, the AFP allege the young man then walked to the rear of the plane and punched another passenger several times in the face, as he exited a toilet cubicle. The AFP didn't state what the latter victim did to the young man.
The 21-year-old was restrained by cabin crew and handed over to police officers upon landing. He is currently facing one count of assaulting crew of an aircraft, an offense punishable by 10 years imprisonment.
Additionally, he is being charged with one count of common assault, which is punishable by two years imprisonment, according to the AFP.
In a press release statement, the AFP said it has a "zero-tolerance policy when it comes to the assault or mistreatment of passengers or cabin crew," adding that "anyone who commits such an offence can expect to be prosecuted."
The agency then emphasized this stance, warning that it "maintains a strong presence at Australia’s major airports for this very reason.”
The young man appeared in Broadmeadows Magistrates Court on August 3, 2026.
The news comes weeks after a traveler was banned for life for biting a flight attendant on a flight from Australia to the US. As reported by The Guardian, the plane was diverted as a result of the incident.
