Man arrested after allegedly running naked in the aisle, forcing plane to turn around

It’s safe to say it wasn’t the in-flight entertainment they were expecting.

Instead, passengers on board a Virgin Australia flight from Perth to Melbourne watched as a naked man ran down the aisle and threw a crew member to the ground.

Flight VA696 subsequently returned to Perth because there was a “disruptive passenger” on board, a Virgin Australia spokesperson said in a statement following the incident on Monday. They added that the man was subsequently handed over to the Australian Federal Police.

According to flight tracking site FlightAware, the plane turned around about an hour and a half into its three-and-a-half-hour journey.

The Australian Federal Police said in a statement that “officers have arrested a man after he allegedly ran naked through the aircraft mid-flight and pushed a crew member to the ground.”

They added that he was “arrested and taken to hospital for examination.”

Police said charges against the man had not yet been finalised, adding that he would likely appear in court next month.

“We sincerely apologize to the guests affected,” said the Virgin Australia spokesman.