Turn Your Tablet to Airplane Mode, or Else

Image: PHOTO: It's not difficult at all to put a device into Airplane Mode. (photo via Flickr/Global X)
Image: PHOTO: It's not difficult at all to put a device into Airplane Mode. (photo via Flickr/Global X)
Donald Wood
by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:40 AM ET, Thu November 16, 2017

A flight preparing to take off from Australia was forced to turn around and return to the terminal after one of the passengers refused to put his tablet on airplane mode.

According to The Sun, Qantas Flight QF2133 from the Australian capital of Canberra to Melbourne was halted Friday night when an attendant asked a male passenger to turn his electronic device to airplane mode.

The passenger, who was reportedly a chief executive, refused to turn the tablet off and the flight crew made the decision to abandon the takeoff. A Qantas spokesperson confirmed the incident and said safety is the top priority for the airline.

As a result, the plane took off an hour later than expected.

While an arrogant passenger refusing to turn his tablet to airplane mode is a weird reason for a delay, it's been a bizarre several months for the airline industry.

Last week, a Qatar Airways flight was forced to make an emergency landing in India after a female passenger discovered her husband was cheating on her and they were kicked off the plane for causing a disturbance.

Earlier this year, a China Southern Airlines flight was delayed for five hours after an elderly woman threw coins into the engine for good luck.


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