Qatar Airways Flight Passengers Panic As 2 Men Turn Violent, Threaten To Shoot Fellow Travellers Mid-Air (Video)
Two men aboard a Qatar Airways-operated Virgin Australia flight from Melbourne to Doha allegedly claimed to have a gun and threatened to shoot fellow passengers before turning violent on crew. They were restrained with cable ties and handcuffs and handed over to police on landing in Doha.
Passengers on a long-haul flight from Melbourne to Doha were left terrified after two men turned violent mid-flight, claimed to be armed, and threatened to shoot fellow travellers, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. The incident occurred aboard flight VA7, a Qatar Airways-operated Virgin Australia service, on Friday. Eyewitnesses said the two men appeared restless and agitated shortly after takeoff, repeatedly pacing the aisles, disturbing nearby passengers and rifling through overhead luggage bins before the situation spiralled into chaos hours later.
Men Threatened To Shoot Passengers, Attacked Crew
Around six hours before the flight was due to land, the men's behaviour escalated sharply. They began arguing, fighting and shouting threats across the cabin, even claiming they had a firearm and intended to shoot people on board. Arthur Lundeen Fired From Arizona Realty Firm After Being Duct-Taped on American Airlines Flight.
When flight attendants tried to intervene and calm the situation, the men turned on them physically. Passengers said they saw the men headbutting and spitting at crew members who stepped in.
2 Men Restrained After Threatening To Shoot Passengers On Qatar Airways Flight
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One passenger, quoted in the report, claimed the men were 'screaming about wanting to hurt and shoot people'. Another passenger said they were 'headbutting and spitting on flight attendants'.
A witness told 3AW's Jacqueline Felgate, "Really big props to the Qatar flight attendants; they were hands on for about 10 hours straight. They really couldn't do too much more," describing the ordeal as "very scary".
Restrained By Crew And Passengers Until Landing
Recognising the danger to everyone on board, the flight attendants decided to restrain the men, enlisting help from several passengers. It reportedly took six to seven people to hold down each man given the violent struggle. Crew used cable ties and handcuffs to secure both men to their seats for the remainder of the journey to prevent further harm. Who Is Arthur Lundeen? Man Duct-Taped To Seat on American Airlines Flight After Racist Outburst (Video).
Local police were waiting on the tarmac when the aircraft landed at Hamad International Airport in Doha, and officers boarded immediately to take both men into custody.
Qatar Airways Confirms Altercation
Qatar Airways confirmed the incident in a statement, saying the disruptive passengers were restrained in line with standard procedure.
"We can confirm that two male passengers were involved in a physical altercation on board flight VA7 from Melbourne to Doha, operated by Qatar Airways," the airline told news.com.au in a statement.
"Both passengers were restrained and, upon arrival in Doha, were handed over to local authorities."
"The safety and wellbeing of our crew and passengers remain our highest priority."
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 13, 2026 08:37 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
