Festive air blitz on unruly travellers

A WOMAN who bit a flight attendant, a man who drank 700ml of scotch before passing out and a drunk woman who had to be escorted from a flight by police are among 49 travellers charged by Australian Federal Police during a holiday period crackdown.

Operation Sleigh ran from December 20 to January 29, targeting illegal and unruly behaviour in airports and on flights over the busy Christmas break.

Nearly 50 travellers were charged with 69 offences by AFP officers stationed at nine major airports, including assault, drug possession and weapons offences.

A further 24 people were fined for intoxication, offensive and disorderly behaviour, creating a disturbance and failing to comply with directions from airline staff.

Among those arrested was a 78-year-old woman who allegedly hit another passenger in the face on board a flight from New Zealand to the Gold Coast on January 29.

The woman then bit a flight attendant on the arm when they tried to intervene.

She was issued with a notice to appear over the alleged assault.

Another Gold Coast arrest went viral on social media after fellow passengers sang her off the plane with Steam’s 1969 hit Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss Him Goodbye).

The 42-year-old woman was pulled from a Melbournebound flight by AFP officers on January 8 after she refused requests to get off because of her level of intoxication.

She was charged with disorderly conduct.

And a 41-year-old Australian man had to be taken to hospital when his plane from New Zealand landed in Sydney after he spent the flight drinking a 700ml bottle of scotch he’d bought at the duty free shop.

The man lost consciousness and allegedly abused airline staff when the plane landed.