A PASSENGER has told of the extraordinary scenes as Chinese security officials stood by while angry passengers confronted the crew of a Jetstar flight.

The Jetstar captain and crew were held hostage for more than six hours at Shanghai’s Pudong Airport on Friday by passengers who were angry their flight to Beijing had been diverted because of heavy fog.

Passenger Alastair Johnson has told Fairfax of scenes of security, immigration and customs officials standing by as the captain was stopped from leaving the airport arrivals lounge by the angry passengers.

Mr Johnson said the passengers became “extremely obnoxious” when they were divided into groups of those who needed to get to Beijing urgently, and those who could wait for the captain and crew to have their legally-required rest break and fly again.

He said when passengers saw the captain and crew trying to leave, they ran over to them.

“They had them bailed up against a wall with a semi-circle of people around them,” Mr Johnson said.

“The captain was being assaulted. They were preventing him from leaving, physically restraining him and trying to take his bags away.”

He said the captain was very calm in dealing with the passengers.

The drama unfolded on Jetstar flight JQ7 last Friday, which was travelling from Melbourne to Beijing via Singapore.

The A330-200 was carrying Australian and Chinese nationals.

A Jetstar spokeswoman told news.com.au yesterday that the flight was diverted due to heavy fog.

“Our captain and crew assisted passengers in a calm and professional manner in what was a difficult situation for all involved,” she said.

Originally published as Jetstar passengers were 'extremely obnoxious'