- Qantas has apologized for playing an R-rated movie on a Sydney to Tokyo flight.
- Technical issues with the in-flight system meant passengers couldn’t select their own movies.
- Qantas switched to a family-friendly movie after passengers complained.
Australian flag carrier Qantas has apologized after an R-rated movie was played on every screen during a flight.
The incident occurred on a flight between Sydney and Haneda Airport in Tokyo.
Technical issues with the Airbus A330’s in-flight entertainment system meant passengers couldn’t select their own movies.
Qantas said its crew members had a limited list of movies that could be played across every screen, and some passengers had requested a particular movie.
The Guardian reported that the film shown was “Daddio” — a 2023 film starring Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn.
It’s rated R for language throughout, sexual material, and brief graphic nudity. According to the Guardian, one passenger described it as “40 minutes of penis and boobs.”
According to the airline, crew members tried to fix the screens for passengers who didn’t want to watch the movie, but as this wasn’t possible, a children’s movie was played on every screen instead.
“The movie was clearly not suitable to play for the whole flight, and we sincerely apologize to customers for this experience,” a Qantas spokesperson said in a statement shared with Business Insider.
“All screens were changed to a family-friendly movie for the rest of the flight, which is our standard practice for the rare cases where individual movie selection isn’t possible,” they added. “We are reviewing how the movie was selected.”
Qantas operates two flights a day between Sydney and Haneda. It’s due to start a third from next March, taking over a slot from Virgin Australia, according to a report from Australian Aviation.
