INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines —The Davao International Airport’s flight was delayed Monday when a passenger made a bomb joke, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).
CAAP said in a statement that at 6:28 p.m. on Sunday, a passenger aboard Cebu Pacific Flight 5J97 joked about a bomb, prompting security to contact Davao Control Tower for help. The flight was carrying 221 passengers and was set to depart for Manila at 6:45 p.m.
PNP Aviation Security Group (PNP-AVSEU) officials responded and boarded the aircraft to seize the passenger, who was later questioned by authorities and held into custody at the Sasa Police Station.
Meanwhile, the rest of the flight’s passengers were deplaned while the aircraft was repositioned to a designated isolation bay where all checked-in baggage and hand-carried items were re-screened as part of security protocol.
The plane then proceeded with its flight, departing almost three hours later at 9:11 p.m.