Qantas CEO Takes Pie to the Face During Speech

Image: PHOTO: Qantas CEO Alan Joyce. (photo via Flickr/Jetstar Airways)
Image: PHOTO: Qantas CEO Alan Joyce. (photo via Flickr/Jetstar Airways)
Patrick Clarke
by Patrick Clarke
Last updated: 12:10 PM ET, Tue May 9, 2017

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce had his speech at an Australian business event interrupted Tuesday when an unidentified man walked on stage and shoved a pie in his face, the BBC reported.

Joyce was addressing a business breakfast of about 500 people at the Hyatt Regency in Perth, Australia when the bizarre situation unfolded.

The pie thrower was immediately detained by security until police arrived.

To his credit, Joyce took the incident in stride, smiling, cracking jokes and eventually returning to finish his speech after cleaning off his face.

"I don't know what that was about," Joyce told the crowd. "Now, if there are any more pies can you get it over with now?"

Joyce was discussing Qantas' decision to operate nonstop flights between London and Perth when he was cut short.

The man accused of carrying out the attack is likely to face charges.

"We can confirm that we responded to an assault, and it's highly likely that charges would be laid, however, it is too early to say what those charges will be," a police spokesperson told Australia's ABC News.

Meanwhile, a Western Australia Police spokesman told the BBC that authorities are "currently investigating the incident and interviewing the individual concerned."

[READMORE] READ MORE: Qantas Beta Testing Free Wi-Fi [/READMORE]

Australia's Immigration Minister Peter Dutton condemned the attack.

While certainly caught off guard by the incident, Joyce doesn't appear to be dwelling on the embarrassing moment.

"Well I think when you've been CEO of an airline for nine years there's a lot of things that happen over that period of time," said Joyce via ABC News. "This is different...it is an unusual event but these things happen."


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Patrick Clarke

Patrick Clarke

Senior Editor

A Maryland native and wanderer who has lived across the U.S. from North Carolina to SoCal, Patrick Clarke graduated from Towson University with a B.S. in journalism. He previously worked for Bleacher

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