A Brisbane man, who boarded a domestic flight under a false name, will appear in a Sydney court on charges relating to making a bomb threat.
Australian Federal Police Superintendent Morgen Blunden said officers at Sydney Airport responded to an incident on January 14, when the man, 44, boarded a flight to Brisbane.
Superintendent Blunden said before take-off, it’s alleged he was speaking on a mobile phone and made reference to a bomb.
He said officers escorted the man off the plane before discovering he was travelling under a fake name.
“Following a search of the aircraft, it was determined there was no bomb threat.”
Superintendent Blunden said the main was scheduled to face court today charged with one count of taking a constitutional flight with a ticket obtained with false identity information, and one count of threatening aviation security.
He said the maximum penalty for these offences, respectively, is one year imprisonment and a $16,500 fine, adding the AFP would not tolerate threats to aviation security – overt or overheard.
“Travelling on an aircraft should be a safe experience for passengers and airline crew alike,” Superintendent Blunden said.
“The AFP will continue to work closely with airline partners to deal with any behaviour that interferes with aviation security.”
