A busy airport has descended into chaos after a man wearing a bright green helmet was dramatically tackled to the ground by Virgin cabin crew.

The man was restrained at Brisbane Airport about 11.20am on Thursday.

In footage of the incident, several women wearing Virgin Australia uniforms were seen rushing over to help restrain the man in the crowded terminal.

The man, who was wearing a large backpack in addition to the helmet, was reportedly screaming before he was tackled.

It's understood he wasn't allowed to board his flight before the incident unfolded and was disruptive to staff and other passengers on an earlier service.