Two Singapore Air Force (RSAF) F-16 Fighting Falcons escorted a Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) plane after a passenger said he was carrying a bomb in his cabin bag.
The incident took place on September 28, 2022, when the Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 wide-body aircraft was operating flight SQ33 from San Francisco (SFO) to Changi Airport (SIN) in Singapore.
According to CNN, one of the passengers began to act disruptively, verbally threatening cabin crew members mid-flight and allegedly claimed that there was a bomb in a hand-carry bag.
The cabin crew applied necessary means to detain the offender. Meanwhile, the pilots informed the air traffic control of the potential threat onboard and asked for assistance on the ground.
Singapore Air Force mobilized two fighter jets to escort the passenger plane to the destination.
“This morning, a group of RSAF personnel, comprising regulars, NSmen, and NSFs, were activated at short notice in response to a suspected bomb threat onboard a Singapore Airlines (SIA1) (SINGY) flight, SQ33. Team RSAF responded swiftly and decisively to ensure our skies are protected, always,” the RSAF said in a Twitter post.
The plane landed safely after approximately 16 hours and 25 minutes, touching down at SIN airport at around 5:50 a.m. local time, according to Channel NewsAsia.
The bomb threat was confirmed as a hoax by both Singapore Airline and Defense Ministry officials.