Dramatic video has emerged of the moment a man attempted to board an international flight through the cargo hold after running onto the tarmac.
The incident occurred at Sydney Airport around 3pm on Friday when the man reportedly went through immigration checks onto the tarmac and attempted to board a Sri Lankan Airlines plane.
Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers were seen arresting the man, dressed in a red and white shirt, as he clung to the bars of a cargo platform next to the plane’s open cargo door.
Airline staff tried to free the man’s arms from the bars while AFP officers pulled on his legs and eventually dragged him to the ground as he continued to scream.
Witnesses said the man ran through the immigration control area and onto the airport apron while being chased by AFP officers, the Daily Telegraph reported.
The man is believed to have been experiencing a mental health issue.
An AFP spokesperson said the man allegedly passed through the immigration control area before entering the “restricted areas”.
“AFP officers intercepted the man on the platform,” the spokesperson said.
“The man was taken to hospital for evaluation, where he remains.”
The man was given a court appearance notice for non-compliance with airside zones and banned from the airport for 12 months.