Malaysia Airlines Flight MH122 from Sydney to Kuala Lumpur experienced a major security scare on Monday, August 14, 2023. The flight, operated by a 10-year-old Airbus A330-300, was scheduled to depart at 1:05 PM local time but ended up taking off at 1:40 PM. However, about 70 minutes after takeoff, the decision was made to return to Sydney. The plane landed back at Sydney Airport at 3:47 PM, causing a major disruption.
The incident was caused by a misbehaving passenger who started yelling, “my name is Mohammed, slave of Allah,” and repeatedly asked other passengers if they were also slaves of Allah. The man insisted that they say it and continued to do so until the plane was turned around. While it is suggested that he took the plane “hostage,” there are no reports indicating that he did so in a literal sense. Instead, he caused the aircraft to be diverted and inconvenienced everyone onboard.
The incident caused a major security scare at Sydney Airport, with the Australian Federal Police describing it as an “emergency incident.” As a result, 32 domestic flights were canceled, and other flights experienced delays of up to 90 minutes. Passengers were encouraged to check with their airlines for updates.
Oddly, when the plane returned to Sydney Airport, police did not immediately board the aircraft. Instead, it was taxied to a remote part of the airport and surrounded by fire trucks for an extended period of time. The crew did a great job separating the unruly passenger from others and keeping him occupied.
Once the situation calmed down, passengers were forced to deplane, and the man was arrested on the plane. Passengers were onboard for at least a couple of additional hours, as they deplaned in the dark. It is important to note that this incident does not represent the majority of Muslims, as Malaysia is a majority Muslim country, and this is the first such incident reported.
The crew’s handling of the situation has been praised, but there are concerns about how the airport handled the incident in terms of operational disruptions. Dozens of flights were canceled, and passengers were kept on the plane for hours before police arrived. The incident was treated more like a terrorist incident rather than just a stubborn person with mental issues.
Overall, the Malaysia Airlines incident at Sydney Airport has caused significant disruptions and raised questions about security protocols and response times.
