Tangerang (ANTARA) - The Lion Air Group has announced its decision to blacklist a passenger named Herman, 42, a resident of Pematang Siantar, for allegedly carrying a bomb onboard a flight to Kualanamu, which caused a three-hour delay in takeoff.“This blacklisting reflects our commitment to maintaining safe and comfortable public transportation,” Lion Air attorney Yuridio Tirta said in Tangerang on Monday.
According to the airline, Herman’s actions caused a significant disruption and adversely affected services for other passengers.
“We’re concerned about a potential domino effect on subsequent flights. Such incidents often lead to delays and broader operational challenges,” Tirta explained.
The bomb threat led to a delay of over three hours for the Lion Air flight from Jakarta to Kualanamu on Saturday. This is because the Boeing 737-9 aircraft, bearing the registration PK-LRH and carrying 184 passengers, had to return to the apron for a security inspection.
Baca juga: Terpopuler: Penahanan pejabat di NTB terkait korupsi, kasus korupsi Gili Trawangan hingga maskapai tambah penerbangan di Fornas
No suspicious or dangerous objects were found during the inspection. The airline resumed operations later that day using a replacement aircraft, a Boeing 737-900ER with registration PK-LSW.
Baca juga: Maskapai TransNusa membuka rute penerbangan Manado-Shanghai
Following the incident, the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Security Authority named Herman a suspect under Article 437 (2) of Law No. 1 of 2009 on Aviation, which carries a maximum sentence of eight years in prison.
“The law clearly prohibits anyone from issuing threats that could compromise flight safety,” chief of the Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police, Senior Commissioner Ronald Sipayung, said.
Herman has been detained and will undergo further questioning as part of the ongoing investigation into the bomb threat.
