Passengers have recalled their horror while watching airport staff using tape to patch up damage to a plane panel moments before take-off.

Jetstar passengers travelling on JQ813 Brisbane to Sydney were left alarmed while walking on the tarmac to board the Airbus A321 last Friday.

A photo shows a staff member using what looked like duct tape to cover a damaged hatch near the bottom of the plane.

Aviation experts and Jetstar have since clarified it was aviation-grade speed tape, an adhesive commonly used to make minor repairs on aircraft which can withstand jet-like speeds at various altitudes and temperatures from -54C to 149C.

Among the concerned travellers on board was former Liberal Party staffer Barclay McGain, who now works for the Institute of Public Affairs.

An airport employee using to tape to make last-minute repairs to a Jetstar plane prior to take-off sparked alarm among passengers last week

He vowed to only fly with discount airline Rex from now on.

'Our Jetstar flight has been delayed after the airport staff were tasked with patching up a literal hole in the aircraft before take-off,' Mr McGain captioned the photo.

'Maybe if they spent more time working on the safety of their aircraft instead of drafting the lengthy Welcome to Country, things would be different.

'It's no saving grace that the eventual instant coffee I'll need to calm my nerves will be setting me back a further $3.99 (honestly the humanity of it all).

'Strongly considering walking to Sydney at this point. From now on, it's give me Rex or give me death.'

Mr McGain said that while the plane safely landed in Sydney, he claimed nothing was done to ease travellers' fears.

'There was quite a bit of turbulence and people were concerned,' he told the Courier Mail.

'I felt like the air hostesses didn't have an idea, or if they did, they were not relaying it to us.

Jetstar has set the record straight to assure everyone that high-speed tape does not pose any safety risk. Pictured is a stock image of a Jetstar plane

Mr McGain's Facebook post divided the internet.

Some agreed flight crew should have explained the repairs to passengers before and during the flight to ease any angst.

'Looks scary to the passenger and probably not a great look for the airline,' a man commented.

An expert correctly pointed out that the 'duct tape' in the photo was in fact aviation-grade speed tape.

'Speed tape has been specifically engineered within the Aerospace industry over a very long time to provide a very high level of thermal resistance, adhesive strength and aerodynamic compatibility. On a secondary/non load-bearing airframe structure, it is more than safe,' he wrote.

'Speed tape is very commonly used in military aviation to patch light ballistic damage encountered by aircraft during combat.

'If the aircraft was technically un-airworthy, it would have been grounded right there and then.'

Former Liberal Party staffer Barclay McGain was among the concerned passengers on board

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Another added: 'Nothing wrong with that temporary patch, speed tape is used all over aircraft. Plus that is a very much non critical to flight safety section of the plane.

'Can understand people who don't know much about aircraft being concerned though.'

Jetstar has since assured the plane was safe to fly and that all repairs were approved by Airbus and aviation authorities.

The airline acknowledged the pre-flight repairs may have been concerning for some passengers.

'Aluminum high-speed tape does not pose any safety risk and is used by airlines all over the world to do temporary, minor repairs on non-structural aircraft parts,' a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

'In this instance, the tape was applied to a panel on one of the aircraft's doors and was approved by Airbus, as well as aviation safety regulators.

'Our aircraft are always assessed by engineers before flights to ensure they are safe to operate.

'We're sorry to hear these customers had a negative experience and appreciate their feedback on how we can improve our communications in these sorts of situations.'