WATCH: Malaysian Airlines flight forced to return to Sydney as passenger threatens to 'blow up plane'
Malaysia Airlines flight forced to return after disruptive passenger threatens passengers and staff with a backpack; man arrested, no explosives found.
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FollowA Malaysia Airlines flight bound for Kuala Lumpur had to return to Sydney on Monday due to a disruptive passenger on board, as reported by Channel News Asia (CNA). The flight, MH122, departed from Sydney Airport around 1 pm and returned approximately three hours later. A video circulating on social media captures a man wearing a backpack threatening passengers and staff. The flight carried 199 passengers and 12 crew members, according to the outlet.
"The commander of the flight made a decision to return to Sydney in the interest of safety," stated a Malaysia Airlines spokesperson to CNA. The spokesperson also confirmed that the disruptive passenger had been detained by local police.
Australian news source Nine News reported that the 45-year-old man had made threats to "blow the plane up." However, upon inspecting the man's backpack, the crew did not discover any explosives, the outlet added.
On X (formerly Twitter), the Australian Federal Police (AFP) referred to the incident as an "emergency incident."
Later, in an official statement, the police clarified that the man had been apprehended, and all passengers were safely evacuated. Authorities emphasized that there was no actual threat to passengers or the flight's security.
The arrest of the man occurred without any issues, and the remaining passengers were allowed to disembark the plane approximately three hours after it landed, according to police reports.
The airline arranged for the passengers to be transferred to the next available flights. "Malaysia Airlines wishes to thank the authorities for their immediate response and to passengers for remaining calm and cooperative during the ordeal," an airline representative stated, as quoted by ABC News.
The incident did not lead to the cancellation of any international flights, the report added.
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