Passenger arrested after leaving parked plane through emergency exit

A passenger was arrested at an Australian airport after he left a stationary airliner through an emergency exit, walked along a wing and then climbed down a jet engine to the tarmac, officials said.

Jetstar Flight JQ507 arrived at Melbourne Airport from Sydney on Thursday and had parked at a terminal gate when the man left the plane by the right-side exit.

Opening the exit automatically deployed a slide from the back of the wing at the fuselage to the ground, a Jetstar statement said.

But the man walked along the wing and climbed down one of the Airbus A320’s two engines.

Passenger Audrey Varghese said passengers screamed and shrieked as the man began “erratic” behaviour shortly before he opened the hatch.

“The man was exhibiting some quite strange behaviour,” Ms Varghese told Melbourne Radio 3AW.

“As soon as the plane started coming to a stop, he immediately got up and charged to where the emergency exit row is.”

Australian Federal Police officers had been alerted by Jetstar staff and said they had arrested the man for “alleged aggressive behaviour and breaching aircraft safety protocols”.

He was assessed by paramedics and taken to a hospital where he remains, the police statement said.

Police were continuing to investigate with charges likely at a later date.

Melbourne Airport said the man was detained by aircrew and ground staff before police arrested him.

“Melbourne Airport is proud of the exceptional response from ground crew, which meant there was no immediate danger to other passengers or airport staff,” an airport statement said.