Police are investigating after a man allegedly attempted to board a Jetstar flight with a gun on Thursday afternoon, frightening passengers.
Victoria police have confirmed they were called to the airport outside of Melbourne at 2.50pm, after reports a man with a firearm attempted to board a commercial flight.
The man was detained before getting onto the plane. Guardian Australia understands flight crew were involved in detaining him.
The man was in custody and no injuries were reported.
The incident at the city’s secondary airport, which only Jetstar operates commercial flights to, was understood to have occurred in relation to a passenger flight between Sydney and Avalon service.
In a statement, a Jetstar spokesperson said: “We’re aware of a security incident at Avalon airport this afternoon and are working with police and the airport to urgently understand what has occurred. The safety of our passengers and crew is our number one priority and we can confirm there are no reported injuries.”
Kim McLeod was onboard Jetstar flight 610 from Avalon to Sydney for a work trip, and said she and fellow passengers were in their seats when the incident began.
“We had just boarded the flight, we were sitting down, and all of a sudden there was a commotion down at the front of the cabin, you could tell something was happening because people started filming it.”
She said she feared it was an attempted hijacking.
“The pilot eventually got on the announcer and said that somebody had boarded the plane with a large gunl.”
The man had allegedly posed as a maintenance worker, McLeod told Guardian Australia.
“That’s how they got onto the plane. It was obviously a breach of security, I don’t know how they got that far.”
Suspicion was raised after the crew had been told maintenance checks had been completed, but that the man dressed as a maintenance worker was onboard.
“A pilot and passenger tackled him to the ground,” McLeod said.
After the man was detained, passengers then disembarked the plane and the airport was closed, McLeod said. She said passengers were told their luggage would be delivered to them later. The airport was in lockdown.
McLeod, who lives in Torquay in Victoria, had been on her way to Sydney for work, but as no further flights were leaving the airport on Thursday, she would now not travel.
“Everybody was really freaking out,” she said.
Ari Suss, the CEO of Avalon airport, confirmed in a statement the airport was now closed to visitors until further notice as the incident was currently being investigated.
“Our immediate focus is on the safety of our passengers and staff,” Suss said.
