Qantas Bans Man Who Left A Plane Carrying An Asylum Seeker

A man who removed himself from a Qantas flight for refusing to share a plane with an asylum seeker and a protester has been banned from flying. Paul Leary was sent a letter from the Head of Security of Qantas, telling him that his “actions are unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

Leary and a colleague was aboard Qantas flight QF838 that was about to take off from Melbourne to Darwin on Feb. 2 when a commotion about a few seats away caused the whole flight to delay. A female advocate was protesting the deportation of 25-year-old Tamil asylum seeker known as Puvaneethan. She refused to sit down as the plane was about to take off.

His female colleague told a steward that she was not comfortable with what was happening about 20 seats behind them. Leary said they were polite when they talked to the flight attendants. When a federal police officer came on board the aircraft, his colleague told the stewardess she wanted to leave the aircraft. Leary joined her.

Australian Federal Police officers took their details back at the airport. They didn’t think anything of it. However, four days later, Leary was shocked to find out that Qantas banned him from flying the airline, including Jetstar. He was on a no-fly ban list. He received a formal letter on Feb. 16 informing him of the ban.

The letter, obtained by the Daily Mail Australia, told him that he is not permitted to fly Qantas or Jetsar until further notice. Apparently, his behaviour during the incident was deemed unacceptable and intolerable by the airline, and therefore his punishment is to be issued a No Fly notification.

The airline also said in the letter that there will be an investigation on the matter and Leary would be informed of its outcome. The details of how the business executive cannot travel on any flight operated by the Qantas Group or the Jetstar Group. He cannot also use his frequent flyer account or access Qantas lounges during his No Fly period.

He has complained to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal’s human rights division. He said the airline banned him because of his political belief.

“If alternatively there was no asylum seeker on the plane and I decided to accompany my colleague off the plane because she was ill I don’t think I’d be banned,” Leary told the paper. “So the only reason I can see for this ban is my political beliefs… I’m not a known activist, I never have been. I’m in my fifties, I’m not a radical.”

A spokesperson from Qantas explained that the passengers who were identified as being involved in the commotion aboard the plane and therefore caused the flight to be delayed by almost an hour have been issued a “no fly notification” while the incident is investigated by the AFP. “As the incident is under investigation, it is not appropriate to comment further,” the rep said.

Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal also refused to comment, although it has confirmed to news.com.au that Leary has lodged a complaint.