Cape Town - What was supposed to be a routine FlySafair flight to Johannesburg ended in the deployment of the SAPS Bomb Squad to the Cape Town International Airport (CTIA).
This is after two passengers reportedly made remarks on an aircraft. The notification of a potential security threat on board a plane scheduled to depart at 5.25pm was reported by the crew.
Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) said in a statement that a police bomb squad was called to the airport on Thursday after the crew of a departing FlySafair flight, FA102, were alerted to a possible security threat.
According to the statement, passengers and staff were safely disembarked, and airline management was on the scene to “guarantee complete adherence to all legal requirements for aviation safety and security”.
“Passengers and crew have safely disembarked, and a thorough sweep of the aircraft was done. The safety and security of all involved remains a top priority, with measures being taken to mitigate any risks associated with the threat,” ACSA said in a statement.
The security threat is believed to be an isolated incident triggered by comments made by two passengers aboard the aircraft.
“It must be made clear that the incident was isolated to a specific aircraft and SAPS have since declared the aircraft safe,” ACSA said.
“We can confirm that two suspects were apprehended and that there are no further risks to airport operations.”
National police spokesperson, Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, said the two men were arrested and charged with contravention of the Civil Aviation Act.
She said the pair allegedly uttered comments to a passenger suggesting that there was a threat on board that may endanger the safety of passengers and jeopardise operations on the aircraft. Mathe said SAPS K9 and bomb technicians as well as the Special Task Force were called in.
“A tactical approach was activated and the suspects were removed from the aircraft. Passengers were also moved by the airline.
“SAPS K9 and bomb technicians proceeded to clear the aircraft where they only found two optic scopes for rifles which are not classified as dangerous weapons or items in terms of the Firearms Control Act of 2000.”
Threats likely to endanger the safety of an aircraft are considered an offence, as is communicating information which the person knows to be false to other passengers or crew.
Affected passengers were rebooked onto another flight and later arrived safely at their destination.
On X, several travellers voiced their dissatisfaction with the unexpected delay, unaware of the bomb threat.
EddyBoi_05 said: “@FlySafair your flight FA102 is delayed for the past 25 minutes because of ‘paper work’. I don’t know how you can call yourself the most on time airline.”
Lekkerchix wrote: “My colleagues on plane for hours. No indication of what is happening never mind drinks or food! #fa102 #flysafair.”
We apologize for the delay and any inconvenience caused. Despite our best efforts to avoid delays, unforeseen circumstances sometimes arise. Safety is our top priority, and we take necessary precautions to ensure a secure travel experience for our passengers. -KM
— FlySafair (@FlySafair) June 6, 2024
Mark Maclean, ACSA regional general manager, Cluster 2, praised the authorities for the role they played in ensuring the safety of the passengers.
“We would like to praise Saos and Aviation Security for their combined efforts in upholding the safety and security of passengers and cabin crew.”
The airport management has since reassured passengers and stakeholders that operations at CTIA had not been impacted and the airport was operating as normal yesterday.
ACSA declined to divulge what the threats made were “at this stage”.
Maclean added that Thursday’s operation showed the importance of security alerts weren't taken lightly by management
“(Thursday) night’s successfully mitigated threat again highlights the importance of why good incident management, collaboration, and security assurance are never taken lightly or compromised by airport and airline management,” Maclean said.