Fighter jets escort Scoot flight after bomb scare
Two F-15SG fighter jets were scrambled yesterday, following a bomb scare on an inbound Scoot flight from Cebu, the Philippines, which turned out to be a hoax.
In a Facebook post, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said the two Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) jets were dispatched to escort the plane.
Scoot confirmed there was a security threat on flight TR385 from Cebu to Singapore.
A spokesman said the threat was later identified as a hoax and the flight landed safely at Changi Airport at about 4.50pm.
All 144 passengers and six crew members disembarked normally and were subjected to security checks.
A police spokesman told The New Paper a 13-year-old male passenger, who allegedly made the bomb threat, is currently assisting with ongoing police investigations.
According to flight tracking website Flightradar24, the Airbus A320 aircraft left the island yesterday at about 1.20pm and was scheduled to arrive at 4.25pm.
Scoot's spokesman said the airline will cooperate fully with the authorities in their investigations.
In his Facebook post, Dr Ng said the Singapore Armed Forces takes every threat as "real and seriously", until proven otherwise.
"The RSAF will stay ever vigilant," he wrote.
In March, a Singapore Airlines flight from Mumbai with 263 passengers on board had to be escorted to Changi Airport after the pilot raised a bomb threat alert.
A woman and child were held back for questioning by the police, who found no suspicious items after searching the plane.
In April last year, a Scoot flight to Hat Yai, Thailand, had to make a U-turn after a 41-year-old man, who was unhappy at being told that he had to check in his carry-on bag, joked that he had a bomb in it.
RSAF fighter jets were scrambled to escort the plane back and the man was later fined $4,500 for using threatening words to cause alarm.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
