A man was taken into custody after allegedly running naked down the aisle of a Virgin Australia domestic flight, causing significant disruption. The incident, which occurred on a Monday night flight from Perth to Melbourne, resulted in the flight returning to Perth Airport shortly after takeoff.The scheduled 3-hour and 30-minute flight, VA696, was forced to turn back due to the passengers disruptive behaviour. Virgin Australia released a statement confirming that the plane returned to Perth Airport because of a “disruptive passenger.” The airline also stated that Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers were waiting at the airport to apprehend the individual.Arrest and ChargesUpon arrival, the police arrested the man, who had allegedly knocked down a flight attendant while running naked through the aircraft. According to a police statement, the man was subsequently transferred to a hospital for assessment, where he remained under observation. The charges he will face have yet to be finalised, but he is expected to appear in court in Perth on June 14.Virgin Australia apologised to passengers affected by the incident, emphasising that the safety of passengers and crew was their top priority. Both the airline and police have declined to provide further comments beyond their initial statements.Witness Accounts and Flight ImpactWitnesses described the scene as chaotic, with yelling and screaming as the man charged towards the front of the plane without any clothes on. The Australian Broadcasting Corp. reported that no one was injured during the incident, although a flight attendant was knocked down in the process.After the disruptive passenger was removed, the flight resumed its journey to Melbourne, ultimately landing 28 minutes late.
