Jetstar flight from Sydney to Melbourne is turned back amid tensions between passengers as the Israel-Palestine conflict is brought up

A Jetstar flight was forced to turn back and the AFP called in after a passenger began acting erratically before take-off – with another bringing up the conflict in the Middle East.

The JQ501 flight had been due to leave Sydney for Melbourne at 6.20am on Tuesday but had to be delayed to leave at 8.45am instead.

The aircraft had to return to the gate at Sydney Airport just before take-off when a male passenger began demanding a seat change and to go to the toilet. 

One customer reportedly told the man to ‘get over himself, there’s a war in Palestine’. 

It’s understood other passengers on board became uncomfortable and the AFP were called in to carry out a welfare check.

Stock image: A Jetstar flight has been evacuated after passengers began arguing about the conflict in the Middle East

After the plane returned to the gate, the unruly passenger chose not to fly and other customers have since re-boarded the flight. 

Passengers who decided not to fly have been offered refunds. 

A Jetstar spokesperson said crew had noticed a passenger ‘behaving unusually’ and then asked for assistance from the AFP.

Read Related Also: Kanye West drew swastika in Adidas meeting, told Jewish manager to kiss Hitler portrait every day: report

‘We now understand the customer was a nervous flyer and was experiencing anxiety,’ they said.

‘We also understand the situation made some other people onboard feel uneasy and they also decided not to continue with their journey.

‘As a result of this we had to delay the flight and apologise to customers for the inconvenience.’

One woman on board said the situation was ‘pretty scary’.

‘I was quite concerned, you don’t expect this on a domestic flight in Australia,’ Scherri Simpson told The Today Show.

‘I travel quite a lot – it’s a bit scary – 9/11 just pops into your head straight away when you see passengers disembarking, and things being not normal.’ 

Another passenger also said the situation was tense.

‘Because they were talking about the war in Palestine it made us all very nervous,’ the passenger told 2GB on Tuesday.

‘Obviously it’s unusual for the crew to allow passengers to leave the plane once you’ve all boarded.’

No arrests were made.