A man was put on the no-fly list and banned from two airlines after allegedly punching a 90-year-old passenger. This wild incident happened on Tuesday at Sydney International Airport in Australia. The 37-year-old assaulter turned out to be from New Zealand, according to the New York Post.
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Man Who Attacked 90-Year-Old Put On Two Airlines' No-Fly List
A witness of the altercation, named James, spoke on GOLD 101.7's Jonesy & Amanda about how it went down. He alleged that the suspect punched the elderly man in the gut against a window. "A gentleman has come into the airport, of a large nature, and punched a 90-year-old in the stomach, right up against a window," said James.
Soon after, he allegedly attacked a Qantas staff member after they tried to help the 90-year-old. This was around 4 PM in the departures terminal. "And then a very brave Qantas staff [member] approached the gentleman to try and settle it down," he continued.
The bystander who called the situation "unacceptable" also mentioned how 10 passengers had to get involved to stop the attacker. They all managed to hold him down before the police arrived, a crowd of people already gathering by then.
Once the Airspace Flow Program (AFP) got involved, they charged the man for allegedly assaulting three people. The AFP revealed that the assailant pounced on one airline worker and two others, including the elderly man.
In response to the situation, a spokesperson with Qantas said their staff and customers' safety is "our number one priority and we have zero tolerance for abusive or violent behavior." The airline then revealed that the customer had a no-fly ban for Qantas and Jetstar flights.
They eventually charged the attacker with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm. The authorities also charged him with one count of common assault.
After the arrest, the police took him to Mascot police station and initiated a mental health assessment. From there, they brought the man to a Randwick hospital and later released him in police custody.
Each offense can lead the man to a maximum of five years and two years in prison. They also didn't grant him bail. His first court appearance is today, April 2, at Downing Center Local Court.
We're not sure yet why the man began attacking people in the airport. We may find out more as the investigation continues and the man appears in court.
