A Malaysia Airlines Airbus A330-300 returned to Melbourne shortly after take-off on 31 May, after a passenger made bomb threats and attempted to enter the cockpit.
The aircraft had departed Melbourne at 23:11 local time for Kuala Lumpur. About 4km from the Melbourne airport however, a male passenger left his seat, claimed that he had a bomb and attempted to gain access to the cockpit, said Victoria Police superintendent Troy Langdon at a press conference.
Cabin crew managed to subdue the passenger, and the flight crew elected to return to Melbourne for authorities to deal with the situation.
The aircraft landed at 23:47 local time, and heavily armed tactical officers entered the jet and removed the passenger.
Melbourne airport confirmed the incident in a statement, adding that several incoming flights were diverted, while all departing aircraft were held until the incident was resolved.
"There appears to be no imminent threat to passengers, staff or public and the investigation is ongoing," Victoria Police said in a separate statement.
The airline and authorities are investigating the incident, while Melbourne airport warns that there may be ongoing delays through the day as a result of the earlier shutdown.
Source: Cirium Dashboard
