Representative image (IANS)A Qantas passenger has been banned from future travel with the airline after a Melbourne-to-Dallas flight was forced to divert after the man allegedly bit a flight attendant mid-air.Qantas flight QF21, which departed Melbourne for Dallas at 2.30 pm on Friday (local time), was diverted to Papeete in Tahiti seven hours into the journey after the misconduct forced the aircraft to land.Passengers and crew members stepped in to assist the flight attendant during the alleged assault, a Qantas spokesperson said, as cited by The Guardian.After the aircraft landed in Papeete, the capital of French Polynesia, local authorities met the flight and the passenger was handed a lifetime no-fly ban covering all future Qantas and Jetstar services.The aircraft was refuelled before resuming its journey to Dallas about 35 minutes later, eventually arriving on Saturday morning. “The safety of our customers and our crew is our number one priority and we have zero tolerance for disruptive or threatening behaviour on our flights," a Qantas spokesperson said, as cited by The Guardian.The incident is the latest in a string of disruptive episodes aboard Australian flights, several of which have resulted in arrests.Last month, a 45-year-old man from Queanbeyan was charged over alleged disorderly and aggressive behaviour on a flight from Canberra to Perth, during which he was restrained mid-air after allegedly attempting to bite another passenger.According to the Australian Federal Police, the man allegedly shouted, swore and ignored safety instructions from airline crew during the 16 April flight. He is also accused of kicking a cabin manager while being restrained and attempting to bite a fellow passenger who was helping crew members control the situation.He was charged with three offences, including assaulting an aircraft crew member, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.