Unruly passenger sent packing on return flight to NZ

An Air New Zealand passenger has described dramatic scenes on a longhaul flight after crew were forced to restrain another passenger.

The incident on flight NZ6 from Auckland was resolved when the flight landed at Los Angeles International Airport just after 11am local time (7am yesterday NZT).

A spokeswoman for the airline said police met the flight on arrival “after a passenger failed to comply with crew instructions and required restraint in flight”.

“Given the matter is now with the appropriate authorities we’re unable to give further details.”

However, Customs and Border Protection Los Angeles spokesman Jaime Ruiz told the Herald on Sunday the passenger was refused entry to the United States because he was drunk and verbally abusive to crew and passengers on the flight.

“He was returned to New Zealand. He wasn’t violent, there’s no crime, no charges, he was just denied entry to the US.”

An Australian passenger said the incident unfolded about four hours into the flight — roughly a third of the way through the journey.

“A man was knocked to the ground by staff and tied up to his chair for the rest of the flight. It looked like they used seat belts to hold him to the chair. The crew wouldn’t say anything and most people didn’t know it happened. The crew did a great job and really took care of it.

“When we got to LA they had eight police officers waiting at the door to come in and remove the man. They also made us get off the plane away from the main airport.

The Air New Zealand spokeswoman said their crew were trained in restraint procedures, which could include lowering an uncooperative passenger on to the floor.

“This customer was not knocked to the ground as suggested [by the other passenger].”

She said the plane was directed to a remote gate, and passengers then bussed to the terminal, because the flight landed 20 minutes early and its allocated gate was not yet available.