SINGAPORE, Oct 12, 2023 (AFP) – An Australian passenger on a Perth-bound flight was arrested in Singapore on Thursday for criminal intimidation, police said, after the plane was escorted back to the city-state by fighter jets due to a bomb threat.
Flight TR16, operated by budget carrier Scoot, departed Singapore at 4:11 pm (0811 GMT).
But about one hour into the flight, “a precautionary decision was made to turn the aircraft back to Singapore due to a bomb threat”, Scoot, the budget arm of Singapore Airlines, said in a statement.
“The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) was activated to escort the aircraft back to Changi Airport. Emergency services were also activated,” the airline added.
Scoot said the flight landed safely about two hours after takeoff, and security checks were carried out.
The airline said it was assisting authorities with investigations, adding that it was unable to provide additional details as “this is a security matter”.
Police later said officers completed security checks and arrested a 30-year-old Australian male passenger for criminal intimidation.
“The Police take security threats seriously and will not hesitate to take action against those who intentionally cause public alarm,” police added, without confirming whether the man had made any threats.
A 30-year-old passenger who was not named told local newspaper The Straits Times that police had escorted two individuals off the plane after it landed.
The pilot then announced the bomb threat, saying he believed it was likely a hoax, the newspaper reported.
Singapore’s air force previously scrambled fighter jets to escort commercial airliners after bomb threats in 2022, 2019 and 2018.
