Abu Dhabi In a mid-air drama, an Etihad passenger had to be strapped to his seat after he allegedly assaulted a cabin crew for not allowing him to smoke.
The incident happened on June 17, several hours into the flight from Abu Dhabi to Melbourne, Australia, on board flight EY460.
According to reports, the man kept screaming and shouting as fellow passengers and cabin crew members tied him to the seat using cable ties for the rest of the journey.
The man, believed to be in his 20s, was arrested by Australian Federal Police at Tullamarine Airport soon after landing.
Official version
An Etihad spokesperson told XPRESS in a statement: “We can confirm that a male passenger was physically restrained on board flight EY460 from Abu Dhabi to Melbourne on Wednesday.
“This was necessary because the passenger had assaulted a crew member and a fellow passenger when told by the cabin crew member that he could not smoke on the flight. The male was restrained by cabin crew with the assistance of other passengers.
“With the passenger restrained and no longer a threat, a decision was made by the pilot, in consultation with cabin crew and the airline’s security team, to continue the flight to Melbourne.”
