Australian Federal Police have charged a 37-year-old woman following an alleged disruptive incident on board a Jetstar flight from Melbourne to Phuket, Thailand. The incident occurred on Sunday, April 12, 2026, on flight JQ17.
Police were alerted by airline crew to a passenger allegedly acting in an increasingly erratic and disruptive manner. The situation escalated, compelling the pilots to divert the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Perth Airport for safety reasons.
The flight landed safely in Perth just after 7:00 PM local time on Sunday. Upon arrival, the woman was removed from the aircraft and taken into custody by the AFP. She has been charged with one count of acting in a manner that endangers the safety of an aircraft, an offence under the Crimes (Aviation) Act 1991.
The woman was refused bail and appeared before the Perth Magistrates Court on Monday, April 13. The incident caused significant disruption, with the flight eventually continuing to Phuket after a lengthy delay.
