A Scoot flight bound for Australia had to make a u-turn, escorted by Royal Singapore Air Force fighter jets, due to a bomb threat.
Flight TR16 took off at 16:11 local time from Singapore’s Changi Airport (SIN) bound for Perth Airport (PER) on October 12, 2023.
Scoot told local media outlets that a “precautionary decision” to head back to Singapore was made one hour into the flight “due to a bomb threat”.
Two of Royal Singapore Air Force’s F-15SG fighter jets were then activated to escort the Boeing B787 aircraft back to Changi Airport. The flight landed back in Singapore at 18:27 local time.
People on the ground were able to film video footage of the return flight, in which the two fighter jets can be seen.
Security checks were carried out when the plane landed, and though no explosives were found, an Australian male was arrested for “criminal intimidation”. Further investigations are ongoing.
“Scoot is assisting the authorities with their investigations. As this is a security matter, we regret that we are unable to provide further details,” the airline told local media outlets.
“Scoot sincerely apologizes for the disruption and inconvenience caused. The safety of our customers and crew is our top priority, and we will continue to provide assistance to our customers,” the airline said.
