A 64-year-old woman who holds dual Australian-Italian citizenship is set to appear in court today following an alleged drunken assault aboard an international flight earlier this month. The incident occurred on June 3 during her journey from Noumea, New Caledonia, to Sydney.
Reports indicate that the woman brought her own bottle of wine on board the flight and, when informed by the crew that consuming her personal alcohol was not permitted, she became verbally aggressive and disorderly. During the altercation, she is accused of kicking a flight attendant in the stomach.
To control the situation, airline staff had to physically restrain the woman, leading to her removal by Australian Federal Police (AFP) upon the flight’s arrival in Sydney. After the incident, she was assessed for health concerns at Randwick Hospital and was discharged the following day.
She now faces multiple charges, including assaulting a crew member and disorderly conduct on an aircraft, as well as failing to comply with safety instructions given by the cabin crew. AFP Detective Acting Superintendent Dom Stephenson emphasised that all passengers and crew deserve to feel safe during flights, and that intoxicated or violent behaviour should not be tolerated in such confined environments.
The woman will be appearing at Wollongong Local Court today to address these charges.