Qantas Airways has issued an apology after passengers on a flight from Sydney to Tokyo were inadvertently shown an R-rated film, causing discomfort among families with children. The incident occurred on October 5, 2024, aboard Qantas flight QF59, following a technical malfunction with the in-flight entertainment system.

According to a Reddit user who was on the flight, a one-hour delay prompted the pilot to proceed with takeoff despite the issue. The crew, unable to offer individual movie choices, screened a film for all passengers that could not be paused or turned off. Unfortunately, the selected movie was Daddio (2023), which contains graphic nudity and sexual content.

One passenger shared their experience on Reddit, describing the movie as “extremely inappropriate for the audience.” The passenger added, “It featured graphic nudity and a lot of sexting, with texts visible on screen.” The film continued for almost an hour before being replaced with a family-friendly movie. 

Daddio, starring Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for “language throughout, sexual material and brief graphic nudity.”

Qantas responded to the incident with an official apology. A spokesperson stated, “The movie was clearly not suitable to play for the whole flight, and we sincerely apologize to customers for this experience.” 

The airline noted that once the issue was identified, the screens were switched to a more appropriate film. “We are reviewing how the movie was selected,” the spokesperson added.

Another passenger mentioned that after Daddio, the airline showed the animated film Inside Out 2 and a nature program. Reflecting on the event, the passenger described the initial part of the movie as “40 minutes of penis and boobs.” 

The airline emphasized that family-friendly content is its standard practice when individual entertainment options are unavailable.