Virgin Passenger Plane in Hijack Scare

A Virgin Australia passenger plane was involved in a suspected hijack Friday after a drunk passenger attempted to break into the cockpit.

The incident caused the pilot of the plane, which was traveling from Brisbane to Bali, to make a "hijack call."

Virgin Australia subsequently said that the reports of the hijack were incorrect and that the aircraft in question landed safely.


The passenger has reportedly been arrested and no passengers were harmed. Bali's Depasar International Airport was temporarily closed and flights were diverted to other airports.

Earlier, Indonesia's Metro TV, citing an Indonesian Air Force spokesman, said the passenger plane had been hijacked and forced to land at Indonesia's Bali airport. The Associated Press had said the hijack took place while the plane was still on the tarmac.

Virgin Australia, formerly Virgin Blue Airlines, is Australia's second-largest airline.