Private carrier Lion Air removed a passenger identified as YS, 25, on Sunday from a flight departing from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport bound for Kuala Lumpur International Airport after the passenger joked about the presence of a bomb on board.
The passenger was removed before the plane took off and the airline moved all passengers to another aircraft as a part of security measures. Lion Air confirmed both aircraft were secured but the measures had caused a flight delay.
“YS told another passenger that there was a bomb on board the plane when YS was boarding. The cabin crew and other passengers heard what YS said,” Lion Air corporate communications strategist Danang Mandala Prihantoro said as quoted by kompas.com.
YS was later taken into police custody.
The flight, which was carrying 127 adults and six children, was scheduled to depart from Soekarno-Hatta at 11.40 am but was forced to delay its departure to 2.15 pm.
Three Lion Air passengers have been removed from flights for making bomb-related jokes and remarks this month.
As stipulated in Law No. 1/2009 on the Transportation Ministry’s national flight safety program, anyone who gives false information that can endanger flight safety faces up to one year in prison.
Source: Jakarta Post
Photo courtesy of EPA/BAGUS INDAHONO