A Jetstar flight attendant warned passengers that drug-sniffer dogs and quarantine officers were waiting for them in Sydney.
Many of the passengers on the flight had attended the Splendour in the Grass music festival at Byron Bay.
“We have been told there are sniffer dogs and quarantine officers waiting in the domestic terminal,” The Daily Telegraph earlier this week quoted the attendant who spoke to the 210 passengers aboard the flight via the public address system.
“If you need to dispose of anything you shouldn’t have, we suggest you flush it now,” added the Jetstar employee.
The newspaper reported an eyewitness said that following the announcement a number of people rushed to the toilets “clutching something in their hands”.
Speaking for Jetstar, Stephen Moynihan said that these announcements weren’t irregular but the staff member’s choice of words was not in-line with the company’s professional code of conduct.
“The crew member’s words were poorly chosen and are plainly at odds with the professional standards we’d expect from our team. We apologize to customers offended by the comments.”
Jetstar said that the reaction from the public over the incident was mixed but that the staff member involved will be addressed in this regard.
Another passenger is quoted as saying, “Why would you tip people off about this? If they have got something illegal, let them get caught.”
Yet comments about the announcement on the airline’s Facebook page are mostly positive.
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