A Qantas flight from Melbourne to Dallas was forced to divert to Tahiti after a passenger allegedly became disruptive and bit a flight attendant mid-air.

The incident occurred on QF21 during the long-haul service on the weekend, prompting crew and passengers to assist the affected staff member. This masthead understands no serious injuries were sustained.

The aircraft made a precautionary diversion to Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, where the passenger was removed from the plane, met by local authorities, and subsequently issued a Qantas no-fly ban.

After the disruption was resolved and the aircraft refuelled, the flight continued on to Dallas, landing several hours behind schedule on Saturday morning (AEST).

A Qantas spokesperson said the airline does not tolerate disruptive behaviour onboard.

“The safety of our customers and our crew is our number one priority and we have zero tolerance for disruptive or threatening behaviour on our flights,” they said.

The passenger involved in the Melbourne-to-Dallas incident is understood not to be Australian.

It comes as a flight to the Caribbean descended into chaos after a mum attacked cabin crew and fellow passengers during a drunken outburst.

Zoe Alexander was travelling on a TUI Airways flight from Manchester to Cuba when she became increasingly disruptive after drinking alcohol on board, a UK court has heard.

Airline staff were first alerted after Ms Alexander tried to enter a premium section of the aircraft before turning verbally abusive when challenged, calling a staff member a “f..king b..ch.”

Prosecutor Blaise Morris said her behaviour rapidly escalated, with the mother-of-one lashing out at staff and passengers during a disturbance which lasted 90-minutes.

During the “aggressive” incident, she punched, “kicked at” and bit people while shouting abuse throughout the cabin, The Sun reports.

Manchester Crown Court heard the Brit had been drinking brandy after asking flight attendants for alcohol to help her sleep on the nine-hour flight.

Witnesses described Ms Brandy as loud, confrontational and demanding, with prosecutors saying she sprawled across other passengers’ seats and demanded being served more food.

One passenger and her husband pressed the assistance button after being fearful Ms Alexander could become violent towards their children.

After repeat attempts by flight attendant’s to “temporarily calm down” Ms Alexander by suggesting she watch a movie, the young mum “flew into a rage”.

She proceeded to repeatedly hit a TV screen in the seat in front of her while shouting “f..k you” to a female staff member before repeating the profanity at a male worker and pulling off his tie.

Crew member Gerard Taylor was eventually forced to restrain Ms Alexander with a rarely-used “restraining kit” for the remainder of the flight.

Ms Alexander proceeded to lash out at a nearby passenger who was trying to help Mr Taylor restrain Ms Alexander.

The mum told him: “I hope bad things happen to your children. I hope they die.”

Ms Alexander was escorted off the plane by local police upon landing in Cuba.

According to victim impact statements heard by the court, Ms Alexander’s violent tirade caused “huge disruption and anxiety” during the flight in August of 2022.

Airline staff also told the court they had “never experienced” such treatment while on the job.

Ms Alexander initially denied charged of being drunk on an aircraft and three counts of assault by beating, but changed her pleas to guilty on the first day of her trial in March.

Sentencing her, Judge Paul Mason blasted her conduct as “obnoxious” and “completely unacceptable”, warning that offenders in comparable in-flight incidents often receive immediate jail terms.

Ms Alexander was handed a five-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months after the court was told she is the primary carer for her one-year-old child.

She has also been banned from travelling out of the UK for 12 months.

Judge Mason also ordered she abstain from alcohol for 90 days and attend rehabilitation for 20 days. She is also required to pay compensation of £75 (AUD $139) to her victims.