Australian man removed from Scoot flight for slapping fellow passenger

SINGAPORE — An Australian man was removed from a plane in the Philippines on Dec 1 and denied entry into the country after causing a fracas and slapping another male passenger.

The man began his journey to Manila in Perth, Australia, on Scoot Flight TR396, via Singapore. En route to Singapore for a layover, he allegedly insulted other passengers and demanded drinks from the cabin crew, according to the New York Post.

Upon arrival in Manila, he confronted and slapped another passenger who was filming him because he again misbehaved on the second leg of the flight.

In videos circulating online, the man’s slap appears to have caused the other passenger’s cap to be knocked off his head. The confrontation escalated into a brawl that involved a couple of other male passengers.

Another passenger, who was on both the Perth-Singapore and Singapore-Manila legs of the flight, said the Australian man was loud and rowdy during the second leg of the journey, reported News.com.au.

In response to queries from The Straits Times, a Scoot spokesperson said "the passenger was restrained and subsequently handed over to the local authorities upon arrival" in Manila on Dec 1.

He was "denied entry into the Philippines and was returned to Perth on Dec 2".

When asked if there is any protocol for such situations during flights and while transiting passengers in Singapore, the Scoot spokesperson said: "We will take appropriate measures against any passenger who poses a risk to the safety of our customers and staff."

Scoot did not respond to the query about whether the cabin crew were aware of the situation or received complaints about the passenger during the first leg of the journey.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.