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An Air New Zealand flight was grounded for an hour on the tarmac at Sydney Airport following a security scare on Sunday.
Flight NZ247, aboard the A320neo ZK-NHD (similar aircraft pictured), touched down in Sydney from Wellington at around 5:30pm with 154 staff and passengers on board. Due to an alleged bomb threat, the plane was met by emergency services and forced to wait, with the return flight subsequently cancelled.
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“Upon landing, the aircraft was isolated at the end of a runway away from the airport’s terminals,” a spokesperson for the Australian Federal Police (AFP) said.
“A thorough search of the aircraft, as well as the luggage and all passengers on board, was undertaken and nothing suspicious was found.”
7NEWS is tracking the aircraft at the centre of a bomb scare at Sydney Airport from its news chopper. It was isolated at the end of the runway after landing safely at 5:30 pm. https://t.co/TWh1KQh9q4 @AngeliqueOpie7 #7NEWS pic.twitter.com/iMpDy57wof
— 7NEWS Sydney (@7NewsSydney) October 19, 2024
Speaking to media after the incident, one passenger, Penny Nel, said she believed the scare was sparked by a “note” found on the aircraft.
“There may have been a note on the plane – that is what caused this – so we all sort of gathered the note had been picked up on the plane,” she said.
“As to what point that happened, we are not sure. I wouldn’t have noticed anything during the flight, though there was a slight bit of movement near the cockpit, I’d say probably 15 minutes before we landed. I thought ‘Oh, there’s lots of activity up there’, but that was about all.
“Hopefully it was just a ruse and it was just somebody playing the silly goat and causing such a huge amount of disruption.”
In a statement, Air New Zealand’s chief operational integrity and safety officer, David Morgan, said “standard security protocols” were followed.
“Emergency services assessed the aircraft after it landed and passengers were able to disembark. Due to this incident, NZ248, the return flight to Wellington, was cancelled,” Morgan said.
“Air New Zealand apologises for the inconvenience caused to customers on both services. The safety and security of all passengers and our crew is our utmost priority.”
The AFP is investigating the incident but said there is no threat to the community.
