A disruptive passenger has forced a Jetstar flight to turn back after about an hour in the air.
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A flight attendant told passengers aboard the Sunday night Melbourne-to-Perth flight that a man had been consuming his own alcohol and was twice caught smoking.
"We carry jet fuel, which is 10 times more volatile than car fuel, so for safety reason [we turned around the flight]," she said.
Flight JQ968 turned back just after it had reached Adelaide and returned to Melbourne about 1.40am.
A Jetstar spokeswoman said the plane's captain alerted the Australian Federal Police. Officers removed the man from the aircraft upon landing.
"Unfortunately, it was within about an hour into the flight that the passenger was disruptive," she said.
"We regret that the passenger's actions interrupted the travel plans of others."
The spokeswoman said the passenger had been placed on the airline's "no fly list", which prohibits him to fly with the Qantas Group, including Jetstar, until further notice.
The flight headed back to Perth about an hour after landing.
A Fairfax reporter on the flight says the man appeared intoxicated prior to boarding the flight.
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