MolaKule
Staff member
Bomb threat delays Virgin flight
Age (Melbourne, Australia) 11/08/02
author: Australian Associated Press
Copyright of John Fairfax Group Pty Ltd
A man was hauled off a flight in northern Queensland last night after allegedly making a bomb threat, Virgin Blue airline said today.
Virgin Blue spokeswoman Amanda Bolger said the flight was taxi-ing on the runway in Cairns ready to take off for Melbourne when a passenger made "an
inappropriate comment".
"The plane was stopped and the passenger was offloaded," she said.
She said the man was then taken into Australian Protective Service custody.
"The aircraft then took off with a minimal delay of about 45 minutes," Ms Bolger said.
The incident follows a $7,500 fine handed down to a Victorian farmer in a Brisbane court after he joked to an attendant he was holding a bomb in his lap
before a flight from Brisbane to Rockhampton on Wednesday.
An Australian Protective Service (APS) spokesman confirmed a man had been taken into custody after an incident at Cairns Airport last night.
Ms Bolger would not comment on exactly what the man had said on the flight, but it was believed his comments involved a threat to the airline's security.
"This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated," she said.
"We take these matters very seriously and will take very serious action.
"It's just completely inappropriate."
The APS spokesman later said the 42-year-old Cairns man was handed over to Australian Federal Police (AFP), who arrested and later charged him with
an offence under the Crimes Aircraft Act.
He said the man was due to appear in Cairns Magistrates Court this morning.
Age (Melbourne, Australia) 11/08/02
author: Australian Associated Press
Copyright of John Fairfax Group Pty Ltd
A man was hauled off a flight in northern Queensland last night after allegedly making a bomb threat, Virgin Blue airline said today.
Virgin Blue spokeswoman Amanda Bolger said the flight was taxi-ing on the runway in Cairns ready to take off for Melbourne when a passenger made "an
inappropriate comment".
"The plane was stopped and the passenger was offloaded," she said.
She said the man was then taken into Australian Protective Service custody.
"The aircraft then took off with a minimal delay of about 45 minutes," Ms Bolger said.
The incident follows a $7,500 fine handed down to a Victorian farmer in a Brisbane court after he joked to an attendant he was holding a bomb in his lap
before a flight from Brisbane to Rockhampton on Wednesday.
An Australian Protective Service (APS) spokesman confirmed a man had been taken into custody after an incident at Cairns Airport last night.
Ms Bolger would not comment on exactly what the man had said on the flight, but it was believed his comments involved a threat to the airline's security.
"This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated," she said.
"We take these matters very seriously and will take very serious action.
"It's just completely inappropriate."
The APS spokesman later said the 42-year-old Cairns man was handed over to Australian Federal Police (AFP), who arrested and later charged him with
an offence under the Crimes Aircraft Act.
He said the man was due to appear in Cairns Magistrates Court this morning.
