Queenstown Police have now identified and spoken to the person responsible for the threatening note found on board Qantas Flight QF121 from Sydney, which landed at Queenstown Airport on Sunday 24 July 2016.
The note had been located during a routine turnaround by a member of the cleaning staff while clearing the plane for an onward journey, after passengers had disembarked. The note was then handed to Flight Crew who raised the alarm.
Following standard protocols for such events, an evacuation was initiated to allow Aviation Security to complete a search of both aircraft and terminal.
Whilst no explosive devices were found, the incident caused considerable disruption with a number of flights diverted or delayed, and travellers on both domestic and international flights were forced to alter their travel plans.
Queenstown Airport Chief Executive, Colin Keel said “the safety and security of our visitors and airport and that of our local communities always come first, so we are very pleased the NZ Police have identified the source of the threat. We thank them for their ongoing efforts.”
Speaking on behalf of Qantas Airways Ltd, the Senior Manager of Corporate Communications, Stephen Moynihan, likewise thanked NZ Police for pursuing the matter.
Detective Matt Jones, the officer in charge of the investigation, can confirm a Queenstown youth has been referred to the Youth Aid Section as a result of the incident.
The public should also take reassurance from the fact the incident was treated seriously from the outset and quickly resolved as a result of the cooperative approach between the affected parties.
While the matter was resolved in a timely manner, Police are disappointed in the actions of the individual which caused a large amount of emergency resources being tied up – resources that could have been needed for other serious and/or life-threatening situations.
ENDS
Released by Police Media Centre
Media note: As this matter has now been referred to Youth Aid, Police will not be making any further comment.