Singapore-bound Scoot flight diverted after unruly man punches fellow passenger

A Scoot flight from Gold Coast, Australia to Singapore was diverted to Sydney Airport on Monday (Jan 21) after a scuffle erupted on board.

Flight TR7 was scheduled to arrive in Singapore at 3.15pm on Monday but it was diverted just 1h 20 min into the eight-hour flight.

In a statement on Monday, the low-cost carrier said that an Australian man on board the flight had punched another passenger, reports The Straits Times.

Facebook user Rico David Garilli, another passenger on the flight, recorded the fracas and posted it online.

In the video, the man is seen punching the other passenger and at one point, even puts him in a headlock.

The flight crew and passengers are seen trying to break up the two men.

A woman's voice is heard shouting at the man to stop and to "calm down".

After a few minutes, they are able to restrain the one who instigated the fight.

"The unruly passenger was eventually subdued with two restraining kits, with the help of five passengers," said the airline.

He was then handed over to local law enforcement after the flight was diverted to Sydney.

According to Australian newspaper Brisbane Times, the man was met by Australian Federal Police and paramedics at Sydney Airport.

The assaulted passenger told crew members on board that he did not require medical attention.

The affected passengers were transferred to alternative flights, Scoot TR13 and Singapore Airlines flights SQ242 and SQ288, bound for Singapore.

Scoot said that the passenger had appeared normal during boarding and take-off but began to disturb surrounding passengers after take-off.

The crew members were instructed not to sell alcohol to him.

Mr Garilli wrote in his post that the unruly man had started drinking heavily after the flight had been delayed.