Thai police have filed charges against a Polish female passenger who allegedly made a bomb threat on-board a VietJet flight VZ961, during a flight from Da Nang to Suvarnabhumi airport yesterday, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT).
When the plane landed at Suvarnabhumi airport, it was directed to an isolated area and all passengers and crew were evacuated. Security officials then searched all passengers and their hand luggage, while an EOD team checked all hold baggage and the aircraft. No explosives or suspicious objects were found.
The CAAT said today that the pilot of Flight VZ961 had lodged a complaint with the Thai police and charges have now been filed against the Polish woman for allegedly making a false in-flight statement which may have caused panic among other passengers, an offence which is punishable by a prison term not exceeding five years and/or a fine of 200,000 baht if convicted.
If the offence posed a threat to the safety of the flight, then the penalty would be a prison term of 5 to 15 years and/or a fine between 200,000 and 600,000 baht.
The CAAT have advised passengers not even joke among friends or with airport officials about such matters at any airport or during a flight, because to do so is an offence, regardless of whether the statement or threat is true or not.
