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Two Virgin Australia passengers have been arrested in Doha after a nonstop flight between Melbourne Airport (MEL) and 
Doha Hamad International Airport (DOH) caused violence, with the two allegedly spitting and headbutting flight attendants. The flight was operated by 
Qatar Airways as part of the airline’s controversial wet-lease agreement with the Brisbane-based carrier.
The flight, on Friday, September 11, was operating as VA7, a 14-hour journey from Australia’s east coast to the Middle East. Two men on the flight were forced to be restrained after they made several violent threats to passengers and crew, and claimed to have a gun onboard.
Aggressive Passengers On Virgin Australia Flight
Witnesses have recounted the experience with People, saying that the two men were aggressive, restless and disruptive, and began being physical with crew members during the flight to Doha. After being restrained, the flight eventually arrived in Doha, where the men were arrested at the gate and taken in by local authorities.
The two male passengers were cuffed to their seats after continued threats were made to the crew. The two also made threats towards other passengers, and claimed that they had a gun. One passenger claimed to the Sydney Morning Herald that they were ‘extremely agitated and restless’. The passenger also explained:
“They were repeatedly getting in and out of their seats, moving around the cabin and into my personal space, and touching or moving my belongings.”
Rummaging Through Their Luggage
Claims that the two male passengers were extremely agitated for the duration of the flight, also outline that they repeatedly rummaged through their luggage, and the situation escalated around six hours before the plane was due to land, and arguments began. The flight attendants were on guard for around ten hours of the 14-hour flight as the two passengers’ behavior continued. Flight details are below:
Date | Friday, September 11 |
|---|---|
Flight Number | VA7 |
Aircraft | Boeing 777-300ER |
Aircraft Registration | A7-BEH (FIFA World Cup 2026 livery) |
Serial Number (MSN) | 60334 |
Departure Time | 4:20 PM |
Arrival Time | 10:36 PM |
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One witness claimed that the men headbutted and spat on crew members, and one of the individuals was restrained by up to six people onboard at one point. The Doha police were greeted with a round of applause as they boarded the aircraft on arrival at Doha, a welcome sight for the passengers and crew that had to put up with the unruly men’s behavior. Qatar Airways, the operator of the flight, shared the following statement with People:
“We can confirm that two male passengers were involved in a physical altercation on board flight VA7 from Melbourne to Doha on Friday, operated by Qatar Airways,” the statement said. “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.”
Virgin Australia, as part of a wet-lease agreement with Qatar Airways, who own a 25% equity stake in the carrier, sees the Qatari airline operate multiple weekly flights between Melbourne and Sydney (SYD) to Doha, with nonstop services from Brisbane (BNE) and Perth (PER) to relaunch just before Christmas.
Virgin’s services with Qatar metal are a way that the Qatari carrier can bypass strict bilateral capacity limits on long-haul flying to Australia. Qatar had previously requested to expand its own direct flights down under, but was rejected, so instead, as part of an equity stake in the Australian carrier, it can now sell and ticket Virgin Australia flights onboard its own metal. Virgin axed its own long-haul flights and retired its widebody Airbus A330 and Boeing 777s during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Virgin is the second-largest airline in Australia, after Qantas, and is one of just two airlines in the world to carry the Virgin branding. The airline maintains hubs in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, with secondary hubs at Adelaide and Perth. The airline has more than 100 narrow-body aircraft, and flies to 36 domestic and international destinations.
The recent ordeal on the flight to Doha has left both passengers and crew exhausted after the two men’s behavior dragged on for hours over the Indian Ocean. The two males are now being investigated by local police.
