Passenger detained for claiming to blow up airliner to Pudong

Police have detained a passenger after a bomb scare forced a thorough inspection on Spring Airlines airliner to Pudong with more than 100 passengers on board, the airline said today.

The captain with Flight 9C8568 from Jeju Island in South Korea to Pudong reported to the carrier that a passenger claimed there was a bomb on the aircraft thrice at 9:15pm on Monday shortly before the Airbus 320 was about to land at the Pudong international airport.

The male passenger on the seat of 8A asked the captain to fly the aircraft to Taipei, otherwise he would blow up the plane, a witness sat on the nearby 9A said.

During the flight, he kept ringing the service button to ask for various services, the witness said.

After the crew broadcast the plane was about to land at 9:40pm at the Pudong airport, the man told flight attendants that his legs were trembling severely and asked to diverted to land at the nearest airport.

After being refused, he threatened the co-pilot in a low voice and was then taken to the back of the cabin, the witness passenger said.

A thorough inspection was launched on the plane after it was landed at the Pudong airport at 9:38pm, but no explosive was found, according to the airline.

Police have detained the man surnamed Su for allegedly making up and spreading false terror information, according to the airport police.

Su, a native from central Hubei Province, told the police he had mental illness and antidepressant with him. The incident was still under investigation, according to the police.

The maximum sentence for a bomb hoax is five years in prison with the possibility of a civil action for damages by the affected airline.