"Drunk" passenger behind Virgin Australia hijack scare

"Drunk" passenger behind Virgin Australia hijack scare
By admin


Reports of an attempted hijacking aboard a Virgin Australia flight to Bali on Friday were the result of a “miscommunication”, the airline has confirmed.

The Brisbane-Denpasar Boeing 737-800 service was boarded by Indonesian troops upon landing amid fears of a hijacking following a distress signal sent by the pilot to port authorities.

However, Virgin swiftly corrected the reports. It revealed the passenger, handcuffed by crew after acting aggressively, had in fact been drunk.

"This is no hijacking, this is a miscommunication," the BBC reported Virgin Australia official Heru Sudjatmiko as saying.

"There was a drunk passenger, intoxicated and aggressively behaved. He was trying to enter the cockpit, banging the door but he did not enter the cockpit."

Police arrested the man, named as 28-year old Australian Matt Lockley, shortly after the plane landed with all of the passengers unharmed.

An official statement from the airline said: “There are incorrect reports that a Virgin Australia aircraft was hijacked on route to Denpasar – this is not correct. The aircraft in question has landed safely and at no point was the safety of our passengers ever in question.

"There was a disruptive passenger on board and the pilot notified authorities in advance of landing, as per standard operating procedures. The passenger was unarmed and is now in the custody of the Indonesian authorities."

The airport closed briefly following the incident, however flights resumed shortly after.

Latest News

  • Products

Embrace the journey: Traversing the world with the Shokz OpenRun

If you’ve been on the wrong side of a final call in the airport, or missed the stop on rail journey, it might be time to invest in a pair of Shokz OpenRun headphones. Originally marketed as headphones for fitness fanatics, runners or cyclists with a keen to steer clear of a prang with a car, […]

  • Tour Operators
  • Tourism

TTC: Deals are driving up demand for September trips

The latest market research from TTC Tour Brands shows interest in international leisure travel remains high for 2024, with 77 per cent of Australians over 18 still planning trips this year. Notably, 28 per cent of those travellers are eyeing September for their journeys. Europe continues to be the most popular destination, with 68 per […]

  • Aviation

Qantas ‘working urgently’ to fix app data leak

Qantas is looking into customer reports that passengers have this morning been able to access other passengers’ personal information on the airlines app. X user Lachlan posted that he was able log into different accounts every time he opened the app. My @Qantas app logs me in to a different person each time I open […]

  • Hotels

Revamped Wailoaloa Beach hotel opens as Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa

Crowne Plaza Fiji Nadi Bay Resort & Spa is open and ready for bookings after the first phase of a multi-million-dollar transformation. Part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ premium collection, the transformation has seen the completion of 106 guestrooms showcasing contemporary interiors reflective of the premium Crowne Plaza brand and is a first for the […]

  • Luxury
  • News

Kamalaya Koh Samui clinches clutch of wellness awards

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa has so far clinched five prestigious awards in 2024, including being inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ at the World Spa & Wellness Awards in London. Founders of the Koh Samui sanctuary and spa John and Karina Stewart expressed their heartfelt gratitude for the awards. “We are profoundly honoured […]