The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines or CAAP has confirmed in a statement that a Cebu Pacific passenger of flight 5J472 bound for Manila from Bacolod-Silay Airport received a bomb threat via AirDrop on Sunday evening.
“The passenger immediately reported the message to the airline attendant, who in turn notified the aircraft’s pilot,” CAAP said in a statement.
The agency said that security officers like the Philippine National Police Aviation Security and Emergency Unit (PNP AVSEU) was promptly notified of the incident and the passengers and cargo were subsequently 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,” CAAP added.
The security procedures took two hours that delayed the flight. 193 passengers were on board.
The Cebu Pacific, Manila International Airport Authority, PNP AVSEU, and the CAAP are closely coordinating and sharing information about the incident.
