‘They Were Headbutting and Spitting’: Passengers Describe Terrifying Struggle to Restrain Two Men Midflight

Passengers aboard a flight from Melbourne to Doha watched a frightening confrontation unfold midair when two men allegedly became aggressive, prompting crew members and fellow travelers to wrestle them under control. The incident happened Friday aboard Virgin Australia flight VA7, which Qatar Airways operated, and passengers still had hours in the air after the struggle began.

According to passengers quoted by Australian media, the men appeared agitated shortly after boarding, repeatedly getting out of their seats. They were walking through the cabin and rummaging through their luggage.

The situation reportedly escalated about six hours before the flight was due to land. The men allegedly became involved in a physical altercation and threatened passengers and crew members, with witnesses claiming they also shouted that they had a gun.

Video posted online appears to show flight attendants struggling to restrain the men while other passengers joined the effort. What began as a disturbance reportedly became a situation that required several people to physically hold each man down while the aircraft continued toward Doha.

Passengers reportedly had to help restrain the men

The accounts from inside the aircraft make clear why the incident became so frightening for the people on board. Passengers were not merely watching a confrontation between two travelers and the crew; some reportedly ended up helping flight attendants keep the men restrained.

Jacqui Felgate, host of 3AW Drive, said one passenger told her she helped “get the cable ties on” one of the men. Another passenger reportedly claimed that six or seven people had to restrain each man in the galley.

The same passenger alleged that the men were headbutting and spitting on flight attendants during the struggle. The claims have not been independently verified, but they offer a peak into what passengers said was happening inside the cabin.

The fact that the confrontation reportedly began roughly six hours before landing added another layer to the ordeal. The people aboard VA7 could not just leave the situation behind them, and the crew had to keep the men restrained while the aircraft continued toward its destination.

One passenger was texting her family as the situation unfolded

For at least one passenger, the incident became a frightening wait that she could document in real time. Felgate said another woman told her that her 63-year-old mother sat near the two men. The woman reportedly used the plane’s Wi-Fi to text her family as the situation escalated, allowing them to follow what was happening before the aircraft had even landed.

Her daughter reportedly described her mother’s experience as “terrifying and disgraceful.” Another video from the flight appears to show uniformed police boarding the aircraft after it arrived in Doha, while passengers applauded. The footage offered the people aboard VA7 their first visible sign that the incident was finally in the hands of authorities.

Qatar Airways confirmed the passengers were restrained

“Crew members restrained both passengers and handed them over to local authorities after the plane landed in Doha,” the airline said in a statement.

Qatar Airways confirmed that two male passengers got into a physical altercation aboard VA7. The airline did not confirm the passengers’ claims that the men said they had a gun. Authorities also have not publicly established whether either passenger actually possessed a weapon or released further details about potential charges.

The incident ended when the aircraft reached Doha and authorities took custody of the two men. Until then, according to passenger accounts, the people aboard the flight had to remain in the same confined space while crew members worked to keep the situation under control.

For passengers watching the confrontation unfold, the frightening part was not only what allegedly happened during the struggle. Passengers also knew that restraining the men did not end the ordeal. They still had hours in the air before authorities could take over.

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