Passengers left in dark over security threat on plane at Sydney Airport

Passengers on an Air New Zealand flight that was held at Sydney Airport said they only learned about the security threat after seeing it reported in the news. The incident is currently at the center of a major investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

The flight, which originated from Wellington, was isolated at the end of the runway with 154 passengers on board. Passenger Ms. Lin stated, "We were just sitting on the tarmac for an hour," adding that it "seemed strange." Some passengers told Radio New Zealand that there was a bomb threat, which was corroborated by the scene outside their windows.

Passenger Ms. Crone said, "We weren't scared." She added, "There were ambulances and police outside, which was the unnerving part." Dozens of ambulances and fire trucks arrived at the scene, and heavily armed tactical police were also deployed. There were no announcements made within the cabin, and some passengers only learned they were in the midst of a security scare by watching live news coverage on their phones.

After an hour, the plane was moved closer to the terminal. When passengers were allowed to disembark, their carry-on luggage was inspected by sniffer dogs. While the incident had all the hallmarks of a bomb threat, the Federal Police only stated that they had conducted a thorough search of the aircraft, luggage, and passengers, and found nothing suspicious.

Air New Zealand apologized for the inconvenience caused, adding that the safety of passengers and crew was their "top priority."