Sydney - Australian
police said Friday they had restrained a man as he tried to break into
the cockpit of a commercial Qantas flight en route to the Philippines.
The
33-year-old was detained by Australian Federal Police (AFP) air
security officers on the Sydney to Manila journey Thursday after he
allegedly attempted to access the cockpit some two and a half hours into
the eight-hour flight.
Police said the man had been abusive
towards flight crew before he ran to the front of the aircraft and
attempted to open the cockpit door.
He was restrained by air security officers.
Qantas
confirmed there had been a "disruptive passenger" onboard flight QF19
from Sydney to Manila, adding that the safety of the aircraft was never
compromised and the plane landed safely in the Philippines capital.
"Distracting
the pilots of a commercial aircraft carrying approximately 400
passengers and flying at an altitude of 10 000 metres is a very real
threat to the safe operation of that aircraft," AFP National Manager of
Aviation, Assistant Commissioner Shane Connelly said in a statement.
"If the cockpit had been breached, the consequences could have been disastrous.
"Such
behavior on flights involving an Australian destination or origin
cannot -- and will not -- be tolerated by airlines and the Australian
Federal Police."
Police said the aircraft was not endangered
during the incident and the passenger involved was handed to Philippines
authorities.
Air security officers fly on selected domestic and international flights to ensure the safety of travelers.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment