Plane passenger opens emergency door after joke about bomb
A passenger has opened an emergency door on a plane before takeoff after another traveller joked there was a bomb onboard.
Indonesian carrier Lion Air’s flight JT687 was due to fly to Jakarta from Supadio International Airport in Pontianak at 6.30pm on Monday before the plane was evacuated due to the threat, Indonesian news site Detik News reported.
Footage from outside the plane shows dozens of the 133 passengers flooding out of the exit onto the plane’s wing, with some leaping onto the tarmac.
Passengers were moved to another aircraft following the claim from the passenger, which was reportedly a joke.
“There has been a delayed flight departure, because there are passengers who forcibly opened the two emergency exit windows on the right, without the cabin crew instructions, ” Lion Air spokesperson Danang Mandala Prihantoro told Detik News in a written statement on Monday.
Mr Danang said despite a passenger joking about a bomb, such a threat is not an “excuse to open an emergency window”.
A 25-year-old man was arrested over the opening of the door and later taken into police custody.
“Lion Air hopes that these actions will be processed to the court level,” Mr Danang added.
A man, identified as Frantinus Nirigi, has since been arrested by police over his claims to have a bomb onboard. A search by investigators showed no trace of an explosive device either on the plane or in his baggage.
Police are continuing their investigations into both incidents.
