The bomb threat sent to the passenger via AirDrop.
Photo courtesy of CAAP
Cebu Pacific passenger gets bomb threat
A CEBU Pacific passenger of flight flight 5J472 bound for Manila from Bacolod-Silay Airport received a bomb threat via AirDrop at approximately 11:39 p.m., on July 2, 2023 while inside the aircraft.
The passenger immediately reported the message to the airline attendant, who notified the aircraft’s pilot.
The Philippine National Police Aviation Security and Emergency Unit (PNP AVSEU) was promptly notified of the incident and the aircraft’s passengers and cargo were subequently deplaned.
A bomb squad was sent to the aircraft in question to conduct paneling of the aircraft and cargo, while all the passengers had to undergo x-ray final security check again.
The whole security procedure caused the flight to be delayed for two hours. The flight was able to successfully take off at 2:18 a.m., on July 3, 2023 with 193 passengers on board.
The Cebu Pacific, Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA), PNP AVSEU, and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) are closely coordinating and sharing information about the incident.
