Airport meltdowns are rising—here’s what’s fuelling them and how staff are coping
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Content warning: This article contains references to public intoxication and violent behaviour.
They stumbled off planes, slurred insults at border officers, and in some cases—pulled their pants down.
A troubling pattern of ‘hammered’ travellers causing chaos has sparked urgent warnings from Australian authorities.
And with violence on the rise at international terminals, officials say enough is enough.
From verbal abuse to physical assaults, Australian Border Force (ABF) officers have faced a disturbing uptick in aggression from intoxicated passengers returning on international flights.
ABF Assistant Commissioner Chris Waters described the shocking behaviour seen at airports across the country in recent months.
‘Some people are really hammered, to be frank,’ he said.
‘Some people start taking their clothes off, and some get very aggressive, even punching holes in the wall.’
In one alarming case, a man who arrived from Kuala Lumpur in March allegedly became belligerent during a baggage search and exposed himself multiple times.
He then threw his phone at an ABF officer, hitting them.
He was fined $1500 after pleading guilty to common assault, disorderly behaviour, and two counts of committing an indecent act.
Another man arriving in Perth from Thailand in April reportedly punched a hole in a wall after officers seized undeclared cigarettes from his luggage.
Federal Police removed him from the airport and charged him with criminal damage.
Assistant Commissioner Waters said the incidents were not isolated.
‘We’ve had phones thrown at our officers, assaults on them, and verbal abuse,’ he said.
‘It just won’t be tolerated.’
According to ABF data, officers encounter drunk and aggressive passengers at least a few times each day.
The trend appears particularly common among travellers returning from Southeast Asian countries, often following shorter flights where passengers may already be intoxicated before boarding.
‘Potentially, it is the shorter flights, potentially the cheaper alcohol in those countries—that’s where we see the trend,’ Waters said.
‘We’ve had some folk coming back from Bali who have been hammered and have been quite aggressive to our staff.’
The ABF said the combination of in-flight drinking and duty-free purchases contributed to the problem, and it was now working with airlines and airport retailers to address it.
‘We’re working closely with the airlines… because their staff also have issues in relation to abusive behaviour, as well as the duty-free staff, and other staff within the airports,’ Waters said.
The consequences for bad behaviour can be serious, with authorities warning that travellers who assault or threaten officers may face fines, charges, or even visa cancellations.
‘Some countries might not allow you to get a visa if you’ve got such serious offences against your name,’ Waters said.
In one case, a Chinese national who refused to answer questions and made repeated threats of knife violence towards ABF officers had his visa cancelled on the spot.
He was deported on the next available flight.
With ABF officers responsible for intercepting drug traffickers, child abusers and other serious offenders, Waters said dealing with drunk Australians wasted critical time and resources.
‘It does take valuable resources away from what our officers could be doing in other parts of the airport,’ he said.
‘If it was a licensed venue, those people would be turned away… but Australians returning home, we have to allow them in.’
‘But if people are on visas who misbehave, then there is an opportunity for us to cancel their visa and to return them home.’
Waters reminded the public that arriving intoxicated can also lead to incorrect or incomplete declarations on the incoming passenger card—causing further delays and conflict.
‘If somebody is intoxicated, they might not understand what they’re ticking or not fill it in correctly,’ he said.
‘That causes us then to engage with them, and that is when the aggressiveness sometimes occurs.’
His final message was a blunt one: show respect.
‘Don’t get hammered on the plane, don’t be a muppet when you come back through the airport,’ he said.
‘Because they could be your sons, or daughters, or brothers, or sisters, and we’re all just trying to do a good job and keeping Australia safe.’
Drunken outbursts at the airport aren’t the only time travellers have made headlines for disruptive behaviour.
Sometimes the chaos starts mid-air—fuelled by smuggled alcohol and a refusal to follow basic flight rules.
One flight crew recently had to intervene when a passenger caused a scene after cracking open her own bottle in the cabin.
Read more: She’s 64, brought her own bottle, and refused to sit down—this flight did not end quietly
Is drinking before or during a flight ever worth the trouble it could cause once you land?
They stumbled off planes, slurred insults at border officers, and in some cases—pulled their pants down.
A troubling pattern of ‘hammered’ travellers causing chaos has sparked urgent warnings from Australian authorities.
And with violence on the rise at international terminals, officials say enough is enough.
From verbal abuse to physical assaults, Australian Border Force (ABF) officers have faced a disturbing uptick in aggression from intoxicated passengers returning on international flights.
ABF Assistant Commissioner Chris Waters described the shocking behaviour seen at airports across the country in recent months.
‘Some people are really hammered, to be frank,’ he said.
‘Some people start taking their clothes off, and some get very aggressive, even punching holes in the wall.’
Intoxicated travellers abuse officers at airports Source: Youtube/7 News
In one alarming case, a man who arrived from Kuala Lumpur in March allegedly became belligerent during a baggage search and exposed himself multiple times.
He then threw his phone at an ABF officer, hitting them.
He was fined $1500 after pleading guilty to common assault, disorderly behaviour, and two counts of committing an indecent act.
Another man arriving in Perth from Thailand in April reportedly punched a hole in a wall after officers seized undeclared cigarettes from his luggage.
Federal Police removed him from the airport and charged him with criminal damage.
Assistant Commissioner Waters said the incidents were not isolated.
‘We’ve had phones thrown at our officers, assaults on them, and verbal abuse,’ he said.
‘It just won’t be tolerated.’
According to ABF data, officers encounter drunk and aggressive passengers at least a few times each day.
The trend appears particularly common among travellers returning from Southeast Asian countries, often following shorter flights where passengers may already be intoxicated before boarding.
‘Potentially, it is the shorter flights, potentially the cheaper alcohol in those countries—that’s where we see the trend,’ Waters said.
‘We’ve had some folk coming back from Bali who have been hammered and have been quite aggressive to our staff.’
The ABF said the combination of in-flight drinking and duty-free purchases contributed to the problem, and it was now working with airlines and airport retailers to address it.
‘We’re working closely with the airlines… because their staff also have issues in relation to abusive behaviour, as well as the duty-free staff, and other staff within the airports,’ Waters said.
The consequences for bad behaviour can be serious, with authorities warning that travellers who assault or threaten officers may face fines, charges, or even visa cancellations.
‘Some countries might not allow you to get a visa if you’ve got such serious offences against your name,’ Waters said.
In one case, a Chinese national who refused to answer questions and made repeated threats of knife violence towards ABF officers had his visa cancelled on the spot.
He was deported on the next available flight.
With ABF officers responsible for intercepting drug traffickers, child abusers and other serious offenders, Waters said dealing with drunk Australians wasted critical time and resources.
‘It does take valuable resources away from what our officers could be doing in other parts of the airport,’ he said.
‘If it was a licensed venue, those people would be turned away… but Australians returning home, we have to allow them in.’
‘But if people are on visas who misbehave, then there is an opportunity for us to cancel their visa and to return them home.’
Waters reminded the public that arriving intoxicated can also lead to incorrect or incomplete declarations on the incoming passenger card—causing further delays and conflict.
‘If somebody is intoxicated, they might not understand what they’re ticking or not fill it in correctly,’ he said.
‘That causes us then to engage with them, and that is when the aggressiveness sometimes occurs.’
His final message was a blunt one: show respect.
‘Don’t get hammered on the plane, don’t be a muppet when you come back through the airport,’ he said.
‘Because they could be your sons, or daughters, or brothers, or sisters, and we’re all just trying to do a good job and keeping Australia safe.’
Drunken outbursts at the airport aren’t the only time travellers have made headlines for disruptive behaviour.
Sometimes the chaos starts mid-air—fuelled by smuggled alcohol and a refusal to follow basic flight rules.
One flight crew recently had to intervene when a passenger caused a scene after cracking open her own bottle in the cabin.
Read more: She’s 64, brought her own bottle, and refused to sit down—this flight did not end quietly
Is drinking before or during a flight ever worth the trouble it could cause once you land?
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