An incident at Queenstown Airport that led to an Australian man missing his flight was “regrettable”, but it’s up to passengers to know when check-in for their flight closes, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says.

Last week, Mountain Scene reported James Stoddart was told to return to Virgin Australia’s check-in counter by aviation security (AvSec) staff on August 11 after mistakenly putting some mānuka honey in his carry-on bag.

But at the counter, he discovered check-in for his Brisbane flight closed 30 minutes earlier — the situation worsened when he says Virgin Australia’s staff member was “disrespectful”, and then he threw the honey on the floor.

He was subsequently stopped going to the gate, had to deal with police, and barred from flying for 24 hours.

His family flew home without him, while he had to fork out $1800 for a replacement flight the following day.

In a statement, a CAA spokesman says when items don’t meet carry-on requirements, AvSec officers advise passengers of their options, which may include returning to check-in to have the item placed in checked baggage.

However, such advice is a “courtesy”, intended to help passengers retain their property where possible, he says.

“AvSec staff aren’t always in a position to know the check-in status for individual flights, and can’t guarantee passengers will be able to check an item in.”

Meanwhile, a Virgin Australia spokeswoman tells Scene the airline is reviewing the interaction between Stoddart and it’s check-in representative, and it would be “inappropriate to speculate on any conduct” before the review’s complete.

However, the airline “expects its people to treat guests with genuine care and respect”, she says.

— GUY WILLIAMS