An Australian influencer has been banned from flying with two major airlines after inflating an emergency life jacket inside an aircraft cabin during a pre-flight safety demonstration.
Hugh Lovett, one of the four brothers behind the TikTok account The Lovetts, inflated the life jacket aboard Jetstar flight JQ768 from Sydney to Adelaide on Friday, October 16.
In a video of the incident, the vest can be seen rapidly puffing up with a loud noise as the pre-recorded safety demonstration instructs passengers to “only inflate your life jacket as you leave the aircraft”.
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The incident was reportedly filmed for content of the brothers’ social media account.
The Qantas Group subsequently issued the passenger involved a no-fly order covering both Qantas and Jetstar.
“Customers are required by law to follow crew safety instructions at all times and must not remove or tamper with safety equipment, unless instructed to do so,” a Jetstar spokesperson said.
“We have zero tolerance for behaviour that puts the safety of our customers and crew at risk.”
Passengers are told to retrieve their life jackets from beneath their seats only in an emergency and inflate them once outside the aircraft as inflating one inside the cabin can restrict movement for passengers and crew, potentially slowing an evacuation.
The aircraft was met by Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers on arrival in Adelaide, with the video showing Lovett being escorted by officers.
