Alleged bomb threat on Scoot flight: 30-year-old Australian arrested after plane returns to Singapore
Flight TR16, which had initially departed from Changi Airport Terminal 1, was escorted back by RSAF fighter jets.
SINGAPORE —A 30-year-old Australian man was arrested on Thursday (12 Oct), following an alleged bomb threat during a Scoot flight headed for Perth.
The plane had returned to Singapore's Changi Airport escorted by fighter jets an hour after it had taken off. It was carrying 363 passengers and 11 crew members.
According to The Straits Times, the police were alerted to the suspected bomb threat around 4.55 pm, and arrested the male passenger for criminal intimidation after completing security checks. Investigations are presently underway.
A police spokesperson said the Singapore Police Force takes "security threats seriously and will not hesitate to take action against those who intentionally cause public alarm",
A Scoot spokesperson confirmed to The Straits Times that the flight, Flight TR16, had departed Changi Airport at 4.11pm, but "due to a bomb threat", a decision was made to return approximately one hour into the journey, with the aircraft landing back at Changi Airport at 6.27pm.
RSAF fighter jets escort plane, security checks follow
Scoot said the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) activated two F-15SG fighter jets to escort the plane while emergency services were also mobilised.
Upon landing, the aircraft was subject to security checks. The spokesperson added that Scoot is assisting authorities in their ongoing investigations, but was unable to provide further details due to the security nature of the incident.
"Scoot sincerely apologises for the disruption and inconvenience caused. The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority, and we will continue to provide assistance to our customers," the spokesperson said..
The RSAF, in a Facebook post, confirmed the dispatch of two F-15SG fighter jets to accompany the Scoot aircraft.
Runway closure at Changi Airport delays flights
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore confirmed that a runway at Changi Airport was closed at 6.26 pm to facilitate ground operations but was reopened at 7.25 pm, The Straits Times reported.
This closure caused delays for eight arrivals and six departures, including a flight carrying National Development Minister Desmond Lee, who was returning from Kuala Lumpur.
Minister Lee apologised to his constituents in a Facebook post for the delay, which impacted his Meet-the-People Session.
Flight TR16, which had initially departed from Terminal 1, was scheduled to reach Perth at 8.35pm.
The flight path, as shown on the Flightradar24 tracking website, revealed the Boeing 787 Dreamliner flying in circular patterns off the east coast of Malaysia before returning to Changi Airport.
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