13-10-2023 (SINGAPORE) A 30-year-old Australian man was apprehended on Thursday after allegedly making a bomb threat on a Scoot flight bound for Perth. The police were notified of the threat at around 4:55 pm and took action by arresting the male passenger for criminal intimidation after completing security checks.
The police spokesman emphasized the seriousness with which security threats are treated and stated that they will not hesitate to take action against individuals who intentionally cause public alarm. Investigations into the incident are currently ongoing.
According to a spokesman for budget carrier Scoot, the flight departed from Changi Airport at 4:11 pm. Approximately one hour into the flight, a decision was made to turn back due to the bomb threat. The aircraft safely landed back at Changi Airport at 6:27 pm.
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) was activated to escort the Scoot aircraft back to Changi Airport, and emergency services were also mobilized. Security checks were conducted upon landing, and Scoot is fully cooperating with authorities in their investigations. Due to the sensitive nature of the situation, detailed information cannot be provided at this time.
Scoot expressed sincere apologies for the disruption and inconvenience caused to passengers and assured that the safety of customers and crew remains their top priority. They pledged to continue providing necessary assistance to affected customers.
The RSAF confirmed the activation of two F-15SG fighter jets to escort the Scoot flight. Flight TR16 had a total of 363 passengers, nine cabin crew members, and two pilots on board.
Flight tracking website Flightradar24 displayed the Boeing 787 Dreamliner circling off the east coast of Malaysia before heading towards Changi Airport.
A social media account called SquawkAlert, formerly known as Twitter, reported that the flight had made a 7700 squawk, indicating an emergency situation.
Passengers remained on board the aircraft as of 7:40 pm. According to a 30-year-old systems analyst who preferred to remain anonymous, passengers were initially informed of “minor issues” with the aircraft around 5:05 pm. The presence of fighter jets drew some attention, with passengers sharing photos through windows, but there didn’t appear to be a significant level of alarm among those on board.
The systems analyst did not witness any suspicious behavior from fellow passengers but observed that the police escorted two individuals off the plane after landing. The pilot subsequently announced the bomb threat, although the analyst believed it might be a hoax given the standard security checks.
Passengers were provided refreshments after disembarking around 10 pm. It was announced that all affected passengers would receive hot meals during their rescheduled flight to Perth, scheduled for later that night.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore confirmed the closure of a runway at Changi Airport from 6:26 pm to facilitate necessary ground operations. The runway was reopened at 7:25 pm. Eight arrival and six departure flights experienced delays, including one carrying National Development Minister Desmond Lee, who apologized to his constituents on Facebook for the delay in his Meet-the-People Session.
In a similar incident on September 28, 2022, Singapore Airlines Flight SQ33 had to be escorted by RSAF fighter jets before landing at Changi Airport. A 37-year-old American man was arrested for making a bomb threat during the flight from San Francisco. The individual, who was later diagnosed with schizophrenia, received a stern warning for the bomb threat and was sentenced to four weeks’ imprisonment for assaulting a flight attendant.
