Police Stop Singapore-bangkok Flight

[george]

Police Stop Singapore-Bangkok Flight

SINGAPORE: -- Police indefinitely delayed a Singapore Airlines flight scheduled to leave for Bangkok on Wednesday because of security reasons, a police spokesman said.

"A security incident was reported. The police are investigating," said Victor Keong, a police spokesman.

Singapore Air said the police had detained flight SQ62 scheduled to depart for the Thai capital at 10:40 a.m. (0240 GMT) but declined to elaborate.

Singapore's flag carrier has placed armed guards on many of its flights while soldiers armed with machine guns patrol the island's main Changi Airport as part of a general tightening in airline security over the past two years.

The government said this year that the Jemaah Islamiah network, blamed for the deadly bomb attack on Bali in 2002, is still active in Singapore despite a three-year crackdown.

Singapore detained 37 suspected Muslim militants after foiling a Jemaah Islamiah plot to blow up Western targets in 2001, including a plan to crash a plane into Changi Airport.

--Reuters 2004-06-30

[george]

Police investigate bomb note found on Bangkok-bound SIA flights

SINGAPORE : A Singapore Airlines flight bound for Bangkok was grounded on Wednesday morning by the police for security reasons.

It is understood that a passenger on board flight SQ62 found a note saying "bomb under your seat" just before take-off.

The note was handed to airport police and a search was initiated.

There were more than 200 passengers on board the flight, which was supposed to take off at 10.20.

The Boeing 747 jet finally departed more than 5 hours late - at 3.50 in the afternoon.

Police have stressed that anyone found guilty of a bomb hoax will be prosecuted and can be jailed and fined.

-- CNA 2004-06-30

[george]

Reuters reports:

Bomb scare delays Singapore flight

SINGAPORE: -- Police have delayed a Singapore Airlines flight for five hours after a passenger found a note under a seat warning of a bomb or other explosive device, say airline officials and a source.

Flight SQ62, due to depart for Bangkok at 10:40 a.m. (3:40 a.m. British time) on Wednesday, was held back as police cleared the aircraft of passengers and searched the plane. It finally took off from Singapore's Changi Airport at 3:52 p.m. (8:52 a.m. British time) with 209 passengers.

Police found no evidence of a bomb, aviation sources said.

"The police have completed the investigation and checks. The flight has been cleared for departure," said Victor Keong, a police spokesman.

The airline and police declined to elaborate but a well-placed source said a passenger found the threatening note under a seat, prompting an exhaustive search of the Boeing 777-200 aircraft.

"The scribbling said there was something like a bomb, so the passenger turned the note over to authorities," the source said.

Singapore's flag carrier has placed armed guards on many of its flights while soldiers armed with machine guns patrol Changi Airport as part of a general tightening in airline security over the past two years.

The government said this year that the Jemaah Islamiah network, blamed for the October 2002 bombing on Indonesia's Bali island that killed 202 people, is still active in Singapore despite a three-year crackdown.

Singapore detained 37 suspected Muslim militants after foiling a Jemaah Islamiah plot to blow up Western targets in the city in 2001. The militants were also believed to have had a plan to crash a plane into Changi Airport.

--Reuters 2004-06-30