Teen allegedly boarded flight armed

Yahoo

07-03-2025

A teenage boy has been charged after he allegedly tried to board a commercial flight while armed with a gun.The teenager, 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared in a Children's Court shortly before midday on Friday on eight charges including unlawfully taking control of an aircraft.
Wearing a white button up and black dress pants during the three-minute hearing, the boy spoke only to confirm he understood he would be remanded into custody and that he did not have any questions.
'No I do not,' he said, before being led from the courtroom.
He will return to court at a later date.
The incident allegedly unfolded at Avalon Airport — Melbourne's secondary airport which is used mainly for domestic Jetstar flights - at about 2.20pm on Thursday.
Police were called to the airport after reports a 17-year-old had allegedly entered the commercial flight with a firearm.
The teenager was allegedly tackled and detained by the pilot and passengers, including a shearer from Echuca, who claimed the boy was dressed as a worker.
After the 17-year-old was detained, police allegedly found two bags and a vehicle belonging to the teenager.
'The Bomb Response Unit were called to assist with the bags as a safety precaution,' a police statement read.
The 17-year-old Ballarat boy was arrested and has since been charged with several offences.
They include unlawfully taking control of an aircraft, endangering safe operation of an aircraft, endangering safety of an aircraft, dangerous goods on an aircraft, threat to the safety of an aircraft, bomb hoax, possess firearm and traffic-related
Avalon Airport was closed following the incident but has since reopened, with a statement released late on Thursday evening revealing updates to the facility's safety precautions.
'As part of our ongoing commitment to security, we have implemented further measures across the airport, including within the terminal and surrounding areas,' the statement read.
'We continue to work closely with authorities to ensure a safe and secure environment for all travellers.
'We appreciate the patience and cooperation of our passengers and staff.'
Barry Clark, a shearer from Echuca, who was sitting at the front of the JQ610 flight to Sydney, was one of the passengers who helped detain the boy.
Clark told The Project the boy was the last person to approach the flight attendant after everyone had boarded the plane.
He claimed he heard the teenager become agitated when he was asked to produce paperwork so he could carry out the work he said he needed to do.
'He got more agitated and more agitated, I looked up and within a second I saw a barrel of a shotgun and I thought to myself, 'That ain't a tool that should be on a plane,'' he said.
Barry Cable, a passenger on the flight that a gunman allegedly attempted to board with a gun, spoke out about his experience.
Mr Clark told ABC Radio Melbourne he first noticed the young man dressed up as a worker when he realised the airline staff were questioning him.
Mr Clark claimed the alleged gunman had 'other apparatus on him so I didn't know what his full intention was.'
Asked what was going through his mind when he tackled the young man, Mr Clark said: 'You don't think, you act.'
'I've been taught from a boy to be responsible and look after others and we're a sporting family so I was quietly confident I could handle him.'
The 17-year-old was wearing a hi-vis jacket over a black suit, with a tool belt. The pilot emptied the tools from the belt while the boy was being detained.
An airline attendant could be seen taking what appeared to be a gun off the plane.
Passengers had boarded the plane via the tarmac.
Initial reports on Thursday afternoon suggested a person wearing a hi-vis vest got onto the the plane without passing through security, claiming he needed to do maintenance.
Police believe the teen from Ballarat managed to get onto the tarmac after breaching a security fence.
A police spokesman said on Thursday that there was no ongoing threat to the community.
'We were all boarded, I was last on, sat in my chair, heard a kerfuffle and saw the pilot and this other guy tackling this young boy in a high-vis vest,' Woodrow told the ABC.
'In a split second, the gentleman Barry Clark in 1C saw him and jumped him, tackled him and got him in a choke lock, disarmed him.
'Pilot jumped in too, myself and another gentleman come up to support and hold him down.'
A Jetstar spokesperson confirmed flights are operating as scheduled at Avalon Airport on Friday.
'We are working with police and airport authorities as they investigate a security incident at Avalon Airport yesterday,' the spokesperson told NewsWire.
'The safety of our passengers and crew is our number one priority and we can confirm there were no reported injuries.
'We know this would have been a very distressing situation and we are sincerely grateful to the customers who assisted our crew to safely manage the situation.'