Man charged over Instagram bomb threat on Singapore–Abu Dhabi flight

Aircraft was taken off the runway for the man to be arrested

Travellers sit as they wait to embark at Changi Airport in Singapore. Reuters

A man has been charged with making a bomb threat on his Instagram account while onboard an Etihad flight earlier this year.

Azim Shah Abubakar Shah, 22, was charged by a court in Singapore on Thursday and faces a prison sentence of up to seven years, as well as a fine of up to $50,000.

"On 14 February 2025 at about 7.20pm, the police were alerted to a social media post containing a threat to blow up an aircraft," read a statement from the Singapore Police Force.

"Through follow-up investigations, officers from the Airport Police Division established the identity of the man within an hour of the post and confirmed that he was onboard a flight bound for Abu Dhabi."

The aircraft, which was preparing for take-off, was recalled to the terminal at Changi Airport where Mr Shah was then arrested.

Police said their investigations showed he had written, “No one here knows I’m going to blow the plane up”, on his social media account, after he had boarded the aircraft.

The police said the man was found to have no means to carry out his threat, with no dangerous items in his possession.

Etihad Airways was contacted for comment.

In the past year, India has been hit with a wave of hoax bomb threats, including on flights to the Gulf, and elsewhere. None were found to be viable, but the disruption is estimated to have cost millions of dollars.