Australian Federal Police have removed a man from a flight bound for Perth, which was forced to return to Darwin after the passenger became enraged by the price of a sandwich.

The Virgin flight DJ1432 departed Darwin around 7am on Thursday on its way to Western Australia.

But around an hour into the flight, the male passenger's behaviour became "disruptive", with cabin staff resorting to removing him from the main cabin and the captain of the flight turning the plane around.

While the AFP would not officially comment on the cause of the argument, the $10 price tag for the in-flight snack was said to have sparked the mid-air confrontation.

"The AFP can confirm an incident occurred on-board a Perth bound flight requiring the flight to return to Darwin," the police said.

"When the flight landed, the AFP boarded the aircraft and removed an unruly passenger. At this stage, no charges have been laid."

The Virgin in-flight menu offers a gourmet chicken and salad sandwich for $10, created with roast chicken, coleslaw, lettuce and tomato on mixed-grain bread by celebrity chef Luke Mangan.

The passenger's mental welfare is being assessed at Royal Darwin Hospital.

Passengers on the delayed flight are expected to arrive in Perth by 10pm on Thursday night.