NEW YORK (AP) — Qantas Airways has found itself in the spotlight after a mildly inappropriate movie aired on an entire flight, prompting an apology from the Australian airline for the incident.
Qantas acknowledged to The Associated Press that technical difficulties with the in-flight entertainment system on a recent Sydney to Haneda flight prevented passengers from selecting individual movies. Consequently, the crew chose a single film to show on all screens based on requests from several travelers.
While the airline has not publicly disclosed the title of the movie, various media outlets have reported that it was “Daddio,” an R-rated film that premiered earlier this year. The film follows a woman, portrayed by Dakota Johnson, who engages in a lengthy conversation with her cab driver, played by Sean Penn, as they navigate topics ranging from life in New York to relationships and infidelity, including her affair with a married man. Notable for its content, the movie has an R rating due to “language throughout, sexual material, and brief graphic nudity.”
Passengers on the flight voiced their discomfort on social media, highlighting that the film’s nudity and sexual themes were inappropriate for families and children present on board. Some individuals on Reddit mentioned that there was no option for individual passengers to turn off the film, adding to their distress.
Upon realizing that the movie was unsuitable for all ages, the Qantas crew attempted to address the issue by switching screens for those who wished to avoid the film. Unfortunately, they discovered that doing so was unfeasible, leading them to change tactics.
“The movie was clearly not suitable to play for the whole flight, and we sincerely apologize to customers for this experience,” a Qantas spokesperson stated. “We changed all screens to a family-friendly movie for the remainder of the flight, which is our standard procedure in rare situations when individual movie selection is unavailable.”
In response to this incident, Qantas is reviewing the selection process for movies shown during flights. Following the event, the airline has faced criticism online, including from competitors. Air New Zealand cheekily tweeted, “Plot twist: We let you choose your movies,” poking fun at the situation.
