A passenger was detained on Monday for making a bomb joke onboard a Wings Air flight at Minangkabau International Airport in Padang, West Sumatra
passenger was detained on Monday for making a bomb joke onboard a Wings Air flight at Minangkabau International Airport in Padang, West Sumatra.
The passenger, a 24-year-old identified as NS, boarded the plane for a 4 p.m. flight to Jambi, then told a flight attendant, who was assisting him with his carry-on, that he had a bomb in his luggage.
In response, all passengers, luggage and cargo were removed from the aircraft and returned to the departure terminal for screening.
Airport security did not find any explosives as claimed by NS, who was detained by the Minangkabau Airport Police.
The rest of the passengers, comprising 47 people, including a baby and a child, were allowed to leave for Jambi at 5:43 p.m., almost two hours after their initially scheduled flight.
Danang Mandala Prihantoro, a spokesperson for Wings Air, a subsidiary of Lion Air Group, said the bomb hoax also caused a delay for the next flight traveling from Padang to Jambi and another flight from Jambi to Lampung.
“We urge our passengers not to give false information or joke about carrying bombs in the airport and in the aircraft,” he said on Tuesday.
As stipulated in the 2009 Law on aviation, anyone making a false statement that could endanger flight safety and passengers could face up to one year in jail.
“Such a violation will be dealt with legally,” Danang said.
It was the latest bomb-related joke made on board an airplane in recent months, causing flight delays in several airports across the country.
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