Bombshell twist over crazed Jetstar passenger who tried to open plane door in midair and forced it to turn back to Bali

By HARRISON CHRISTIAN FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 14:12 BST, 3 April 2025 | Updated: 15:42 BST, 3 April 2025

A Jetstar passenger who terrified fellow travellers when she tried to open a plane door mid-flight has quietly returned to Australia. 

The woman caused chaos onboard flight JQ34 from Melbourne to Bali on Monday night after she pulled down the door release lever as the plane cruised at 33,000ft and a speed of 500knots.

An alarm alerted the crew, who swiftly stopped her with the aid of an off-duty policeman, but she continued to be ‘abusive’ to airline staff. 

More than 200 passengers on the flight were left shaken but unharmed as the plane was forced to perform a U-turn two hours into the journey and land back at Denpasar International Airport. 

Although the woman was initially taken into custody by local authorities in Bali, she was apparently released soon afterwards.

Gede Eka Sandi Asmadi, head of communications and legal at the airport, told Daily Mail Australia ‘all passengers’ stayed at a hotel that night.

They have since flown back to Melbourne. 

‘For us, the most important thing is safety, security and services,’ Mr Amadi said. 

The woman (pictured) caused chaos on board flight JQ-34 from Melbourne to Bali on Monday night, pulling down the door release lever as the plane cruised at 33,000feet (pictured)

More than 200 passengers on the flight were left shaken but unharmed as the plane performed a U-turn two hours into the journey and landed back at Denpasar airport

‘The airline (Jetstar) has coordinated with us properly. We always commit to manage the safety and security of passengers.’

In response, Jetstar said it had ‘not provided hotel accommodation’ to the woman. 

‘In general, if a passenger is denied entry into a country, the airline is legally obligated to transport them back to their origin, which can have strict conditions applied such as escorts and medical clearance,’ a spokesperson said. 

Daily Mail Australia has asked Jetstar when the woman returned to Melbourne and whether she paid for the flight. 

The Australian Federal Police confirmed officers did not speak to the woman when she arrived in Melbourne as the incident occurred outside their jurisdiction. 

Passenger Brooke Jowett said the woman’s terrifying outburst came after a heated argument with flight crew over her seat. 

‘Turns out the reason behind the lady wanting to open the door is because she wanted to sit in a different row and have a chair that could recline,’ Ms Jowett, who is known for her appearance on Australian Survivor, said of the incident. 

‘So she decided to try to open the doors, which apparently triggered something to do with the emergency slide and yeah, it was a big bloody panic, it was very, very scary but we’re fine.’ 

Passenger Brooke Jowett (pictured left) said the woman’s terrifying outburst came after a heated argument with flight crew over her seat

Ms Jowett watched as the off-duty officer pulled the woman away from the door and flight crew asked passengers to fasten their seatbelts. 

Once the situation was under control, the flight crew made an announcement to all passengers about why the flight had turned around. 

Dr David Birch, a Senior Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at Surrey University, said the massive difference in air pressure between the inside of the cabin and outside made it almost impossible to open a door at cruising altitude.

Opening a door at that altitude could theoretically cause objects or people to be sucked out of the aircraft and for temperature and oxygen levels to plummet, but the force required would be far above what a person could manage.

The doors are also ‘armed’ while on a flight as a security measure and must be ‘disarmed’ by the pilot to allow them to open. 

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Jetstar and Australian Federal Police for comment. 

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Bombshell twist over crazed Jetstar passenger who tried to open plane door in midair and forced it to turn back to Bali

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