The episode led to cancellations of dozens of domestic flights and delays at Australia’s busiest airport.
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH122 left Sydney Airport with 194 passengers and 12 crew for an eight-hour journey to Kuala Lumpur, but returned more than three hours later due to a “problem passenger,” according to the company.
“In the interest of safety, the flight commander made the decision to return to Sydney,” the Malaysian national airline said in a statement.
The passenger had grabbed a backpack on the Airbus A330 and was threatening to “blow up the plane,” Nine News reported. The crew checked the backpack and found no explosives.
The Australian Federal Police described the situation as an “emergency incident”.
A 45-year-old man was detained without incident and the rest of the passengers were able to leave the plane about three hours after landing, according to a police statement.
The detainee, who was not identified, was arraigned later on Monday, police said, without specifying what charges were filed.
The airline detailed that passengers will be transferred to the next available flights.
“Malaysia Airlines would like to thank the authorities for their immediate response and the passengers for remaining calm and cooperative during the ordeal,” the airline said.
Sydney Airport reported that some flights continued to land and take off as emergency agencies managed the situation. International flights were not cancelled.
FOUNTAIN: Associated Press
