A Malaysia Airlines flight to Kuala Lumpur safely landed back in Melbourne, where it had taken off, after a passenger attempted to enter the cockpit late Wednesday.
In air traffic control audio posted online, a male voice can be heard saying a passenger "claiming to have an explosive device, tried to enter the cockpit, has been overpowered by passengers."
The disruptive passenger, a Sri Lankan national, was apparently drunk and claimed to have a bomb, but it was a powerbank charging device, Malaysia's Deputy Transport Minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi told the French News Agency.
The passenger was apprehended at the airport and the incident will be investigated by Australian authorities along with Malaysia Airlines, the company said, apologizing for any inconvenience.
"Malaysia Airlines would like to stress that at no point was the aircraft 'hijacked,'" said a statement released by the airline. The airline gave no further details of the incident.
Both incoming and outgoing flights at Melbourne Airport were disrupted.
