Flight attendants silence disturbing passenger after ‘racist and vulgar’ tirade on flight to Fiji

Flight attendants have been recorded trying to restrain and gag an irate passenger who was thrashing and screaming on board a Fiji Airways flight en route to the country’s main island.

In exclusive footage provided to news.com.au, the agitated and “intoxicated” passenger – believed to be in her 60s – was filmed on flight FJ871 from San Francisco to Nadi last Saturday.

The flight landed in Nadi on Monday, January. 20, where she was met by law enforcement and she was arrested. The woman was charged by police in Fiji, where she remains in custody awaiting trial. The airline has confirmed that the incident is now the subject of a “legal investigation”.

Another passenger who filmed the altercation and asked to remain anonymous said airline staff were “forced to use restraints and gags” on the woman, whose comments were allegedly “racist and vulgar” in nature.

The passenger behind the camera said the situation unfolded about halfway through the 11-hour flight to Nadi after the woman started “raising her voice” inside the cabin.

“It was made known to the crew and nearby passengers early in the incident that the woman was traveling with her husband, although they were seated in different areas of the plane,” claimed the witness, who was seated a few rows away from the woman.

“The man asked to be seated elsewhere when the woman started raising her voice and an argument between the woman and the crew started when the crew refused to tell the woman where she had been moved.

The witness told news.com.au that the woman “caused great distress to all nearby passengers and crew by shouting and screaming abuse” as well as “making threats and throwing objects such as glasses at crew members”.

“She also hit the hands of a flight attendant,” the witness claimed.

In the footage, the crew can be seen trying to silence the woman when she refused to stop shouting abuse.

“Other passengers were particularly upset by her blatantly racist comments towards Fijian crew members, with many calling on the woman to shut up and behave,” the witness recalled.

“Parents with children on board were clearly upset with the excessive foul language and profanity, as many had their children’s ears blocked.”

In the footage, the woman can be seen in the back of the plane with two cabin crew members desperately trying to restrain and eventually covering her mouth with duct tape.

“The crew forcibly moved the woman to the back of the plane, but that did not stop the (passenger’s) abusive behavior, which continued throughout the remainder of the flight,” the witness said.

“The crew informed the woman that authorities would be waiting for her upon arrival in Nadi.” It is believed the woman was booked on a connecting flight to Adelaide.

“When the flight was two hours away from Nadi, the man came and sat with the woman but this did not improve the woman’s behavior. She continued to verbally attack crew members and disturb passengers.”

In a statement sent to news.com.au, Fiji Airways said the incident was being investigated by local authorities.

“At Fiji Airways, the safety of our passengers and crew is our highest priority and we maintain a zero tolerance policy for any threatening behaviour,” the spokesperson said.

“We are cooperating with the relevant authorities who are investigating an incident involving a passenger on board flight FJ817 from San Francisco, which landed at Nadi International Airport in January. 20 2025, where it was completed by law enforcement.”

It is learned that the incident is already part of an ongoing legal investigation.

A spokesperson from the Fiji Police Department confirmed the altercation and that the woman was “intoxicated” and would face the Nadi Magistrate’s Court on Friday local time.

“She was drunk and causing trouble to the passengers,” Fiji Police spokesperson Sergeant Wame Bautolu told news.com.au.

“She has been charged with one count of unruly passengers under the Fiji Civil Aviation Act and will appear in the Nadi Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.

“She is in the care of immigration officials.”

Under Fiji’s Civil Aviation Authority, airlines have the power to remove a passenger from an aircraft if their behavior is deemed “disruptive” to the cabin crew with “the right to take such action as they deem fit to prevent the passenger from continuing that behavior”. When the plane lands, their actions may include:

• Making the passenger leave the plane, possibly under police escort.
• Refusal to transport the passenger on the remaining travel sectors indicated on their ticket.
• Reporting the incident on board the aircraft to the relevant authorities in order to prosecute them for any criminal offense that may have been committed.

Serious offenses can result in a large fine or imprisonment.