A 45-year-old Italian woman was arrested on Monday for assaulting crew members on board a Vistara flight from Abu Dhabi to Mumbai.

The airline said Paola Perruccio, who had an economy class ticket, insisted on sitting in business class, and assaulted a crew member when she was stopped from doing so.

She allegedly punched a cabin crew member and spat on another. She also took off some of her clothes and walked up and down the aisle in a partially naked state, using foul language against the Vistara crew.

The woman was arrested by the Mumbai police based on a complaint by the cabin crew, but was later given bail by a local court.

Ms Perruccio had to be restrained in the aircraft mid-air for “unruly and violent behaviour”.

“In view of the continued unruly conduct and violent behaviour, the captain issued a warning card and made a decision to restrain the customer. The pilot made regular announcements to assure the other customers onboard of their safety and security. In accordance with the guidelines and our stringent standard operating procedures (SOPs), the security agencies on-ground were informed to take immediate action upon arrival,” Vistara said in a statement.