The woman at the center of the Jetstar mid-flight arrest drama was identified in court and fined a mere one dollar for her drunken behavior.
Arabella O’Byrne was captured on video as Australian Federal Police escorted her off the plane in Sydney after a flight from Port Vila, Vanuatu, in July.
O’Byrne, seemingly unfazed by the situation, faced charges for being drunk and disorderly at an airport and exhibiting offensive or disorderly behavior that affected safety.
However, in a surprising decision at Downing Centre Court on September 17, one charge was dismissed, and she was ordered to pay only $1 and placed on a 12-month good behavior bond.
No plea was entered for claims she was behaving in a disorderly manner and no conviction was recorded.
Video from the flight shows her smiling, waving and even poking her tongue out as three officers flanked her down the aisle.
Arabella O’Byrne was filmed strutting down the aisle as Australian Federal Police officers marched her off the Sydney-bound flight
The woman, accompanied by AFP officers, was seen confidently walking down the aisle, waving at other passengers and smiling for cameras as she recorded the event on her phone.
The aircraft had just touched down in Sydney from the Pacific nation of Vanuatu after a three-hour flight
‘She didn’t seem bothered by any of it,’ passenger Clint Williams, who was travelling with his children, told Daily Mail Australia.
‘They made everyone wait to get off the plane while the police got on, arrested her and dragged her out.
‘It actually looked like she was enjoying the attention, she was waving, smiling, even posing while people filmed her.’
The incident allegedly began shortly after take-off when a family nearby complained that O’Byrne was vaping during the flight and became abusive towards staff when confronted.
Crew reported the disturbance and called ahead for authorities to meet the flight on arrival.
‘I asked the family what was going on and they said she was being really abusive to the staff when they tried to talk to her,’ Mr Williams said.
Tensions escalated during the three-hour journey with raised voices heard from the rear of the cabin.
By the time the plane touched down in Sydney, all passengers were told to stay in their seats while officers boarded.
The chaos had begun shortly after take-off when a family sitting nearby complained O’Byrne was vaping mid-air
The woman unzipped her bag and insisted she didn’t have a vape, but pulled out an opened packet of cigarettes instead
In footage captured on board, an officer can be heard asking: ‘Did you vape? That’s the allegation.’
The woman defiantly unzipped her bag and pulled out a packet of cigarettes, declaring, ‘Let’s look in my whole bag and see if I have a vape. I have cigarettes, not a vape.’
When police reached for the phone she was using to record the incident, she snatched it back, insisting she was filming for her own safety.
Moments later, she was placed under arrest and escorted off the aircraft as she yelled and tried to wrestle free.
Once O’Byrne had been removed, the remaining passengers clapped and cheered in delight at finally being allowed to disembark.
The family who initially raised the alarm were later seen talking to the AFP officers.
It is not known who the woman was travelling with, but a male passenger was seen carrying her bag from the aircraft.
The AFP confirmed their officers responded to reports of a woman allegedly causing a disturbance on a flight from Vanuatu.
Clint Williams (pictured) was on the Sydney-bound flight from Vanuatu when Australian Federal Police officers boarded the aircraft on Saturday night
‘The passenger was allegedly intoxicated, verbally abusive, and aggressive towards other passengers and crew members,’ a spokesperson said.
‘AFP members met the flight when it arrived at Sydney Airport and escorted the woman of the aircraft.
‘After investigations, the AFP issued the woman with a court attendance notice.’
A Jetstar spokesperson told Daily Mail they will not accept any disruptive behaviour on flights.
‘We thank customers and crew for the way they responded to the situation and the Australian Federal Police for their assistance on arrival into Sydney,’ the spokesperson said.
