One of two RSAF fighter jets escorting Scoot flight TR16 back to Changi Airport on Thursday. PHOTO: MILITARY AVIATION PHOTOGRAPHY SINGAPORE/FACEBOOK via The Straits Times/ANN
SINGAPORE: A Perth-bound Scoot flight returned to Singapore following a bomb threat on Thursday. It landed at Changi Airport at 6.27pm.
In response to queries, a spokesman for the budget airline said the plane departed at 4.11pm and a decision was made to turn back about one hour into the flight “due to a bomb threat”.
“The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) was activated to escort the aircraft back to Changi Airport. Emergency services were also activated,” he said.
“TR16 landed safely in Singapore at 6.27pm where security checks were carried out.”
He added: “Scoot is assisting the authorities with their investigations. As this is a security matter, we regret that we are unable to provide further details.
“Scoot sincerely apologises for the disruption and inconvenience caused. The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority, and we will continue to provide assistance to our customers.”
The Perth-bound flight was seen flying in circles before making its way back to Singapore. - SCREENGRAB: FLIGHTRADAR24 via The straits Times/ANN
The flight path of TR16 on flight tracking website Flightradar24 showed the Boeing 787 Dreamliner flying in circles off the coast of Malaysia before flying towards Changi Airport.
The flight, which had left from Terminal 1 at 3.30pm, was scheduled to arrive in Perth at 8.35pm.
However, an account called SquawkAlert on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, said it had made a 7700 squawk, referring to when a flight experiences an emergency.
At 7.40pm, passengers were still on board the plane.
A 30-year-old systems analyst, who did not want to be named, told The Straits Times that passengers were informed at about 5.05pm that the aircraft was experiencing “minor issues”.
When the fighter jets arrived to escort the flight, he added that people were “passing phones to those seated by the windows to take photos”, adding that he did not sense much alarm among those on board.
He did not witness any passengers behaving suspiciously but noted that police had come on board to escort two individuals out of the plane after it landed.
The pilot then announced the bomb threat, although he said he believed it to be most likely a hoax, with the security checks being part of the regulations.
The Straits Times has contacted Changi Airport Group, the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and the Ministry of Defence for more information. - The Straits Times/ANN
