Jetstar passenger appears to be escorted off flight after inflating life jacket during safety demonstration
A passenger revealed he has been temporarily banned from flying with Jetstar and Qantas after inflating his life jacket during a pre-flight safety demonstration not knowing it was against airline rules.
The aircraft was preparing to depart for Adelaide from Sydney on Friday night when Hugh Lovett put on a life jacket during the pre-flight briefing.
‘Place [the life jacket] over your head on the loose strap to tighten,’ the aircraft’s safety announcement said in the video shared on Instagram by the Lovett Brothers.
As the announcement warned passengers to inflate their life jackets only when leaving the aircraft, the man pulled the cord, causing the vest to inflate around him with a loud hiss.
‘Apparently you’re not supposed to copy them,’ a caption on the video read.
His brother Blake, who had been reading the safety instructions, appeared to hold back laughter before burying his face in his hand.
Hugh told Daily Mail he was unaware the stunt breached airline rules despite the announcement.
‘I was just copying what the flight attendants were doing,’ he said.
A passenger revealed he has been temporarily banned from flying with Jetstar and Qantas after inflating his life jacket during a pre-flight safety demonstration not knowing it was against airline rules
‘They obviously stated clearly not to put the lifejacket on until you leave the plane, but I wasn’t paying attention which was silly of me.’
Hugh said that police escorted him through Adelaide Airport upon arrival before interviewing him about his actions.
‘Once I arrived, they took me to the front of the plane and police were there waiting to escort me off and interview me,’ he said.
‘The police, who were really nice about it, asked why I did it and whether it was supposed to be a funny joke.
‘I told them it was a big weekend, we didn’t get much sleep and I wasn’t really thinking.’
A Jetstar spokesman told Daily Mail customers are required by law to follow crew safety instructions at all times.
‘We have zero tolerance for behaviour that puts the safety of customers and crew at risk,’ he said.
Some social media users saw the funny side of the incident.
The aircraft was preparing to depart for Adelaide from Sydney on Friday night when Hugh Lovett put on a life jacket during the pre-flight briefing
‘This was sooo worth it,’ one said.
‘I know this isn’t good, but I can’t help laughing,’ a second said.
‘OK, this is very funny, it was worth whatever punishment you got,’ a third said.
However, not everyone was impressed by the behaviour.
‘Delaying the flight for fun? Wowwwww so smart,’ one said.
Daily Mail has contacted Jetstar, AFP and Adelaide Airport for comment.
