A Malaysia Airlines flight had to be turned back to Sydney after a passenger caused a disturbance on board. The individual reportedly began shouting at fellow passengers, questioning, “Are you slaves of Allah?”
The disruption revolved around a man carrying a backpack, inducing fear among the passengers. According to a fellow passenger, the man unzipped his backpack, inserted his hands inside, and made thinly veiled threats about possessing something dangerous within it. This action left the passengers feeling frightened as he raised his voice loudly, right next to their seats.
Despite the initial panic, the flight crew later examined the backpack and found no hazardous items within. Nonetheless, the MH122 Airbus A330 flight, en route to Kuala Lumpur, was redirected back to Sydney. This diversion led to subsequent flight delays at the airport, with emergency vehicles surrounding the aircraft.
The plane landed safely around 4 pm and was positioned at the end of a runway, while passengers were relocated to another section of the aircraft. A video captured an elderly man within the plane confronting an air steward in the aisle. Meanwhile, another flight that was scheduled to depart from Melbourne to Sydney faced delays due to the situation. The captain cited a high-risk security issue in Sydney as the reason for the delay.
The man causing the disturbance identified himself as Mohammed and declared that he was a “slave of Allah.” He challenged fellow passengers to repeat the same declaration, becoming increasingly heated and confrontational. Despite the elapsed time since the plane had landed, security personnel had not yet removed him from the aircraft.
As frustration among passengers grew, some took to social media to voice their concerns about the delay and the situation. One passenger questioned how the disruptive individual had been allowed to board the plane in the first place. The flight diversion disrupted the airport’s operations, causing further inconvenience for passengers.
The aircraft, with a capacity ranging from 250 to 406 passengers, remained stationed at the end of the runway, with emergency vehicles stationed in close proximity. Initially, passengers were informed that they would be transported to the terminal once authorities arrived on the scene. However, they were later relocated to a different area within the aircraft.
As events unfolded, passengers were moved to the rear of the plane, and a distinct zone within the aircraft was established. The incident prompted discussions regarding airport security measures and the necessity of preventing such disruptions from occurring in the future.