A 22-year-old man, Azim Shah Abubakar Shah, has been formally charged with making a bomb threat on Instagram while on board an Etihad Airways flight earlier this year.

The prosecution occurred in a court in Singapore on Thursday, where Shah faces a potential prison term of up to seven years and a fine that could reach $50,000.

According to a statement from the Singapore Police Force, the threat was reported on 14 February 2025 at approximately 7:20 PM. The post contained a message indicating an intention to blow up the aircraft.

Following a swift investigation, officers from the Airport Police Division identified Shah within an hour.

He was aboard a flight preparing for takeoff and was subsequently arrested after the aircraft was recalled to the terminal at Changi Airport.

The police statement detailed that the suspect wrote, "No one here knows I’m going to blow the plane up," on his social media account after boarding the flight.

Upon investigation, law enforcement found no evidence that Shah had the means to carry out the threat, as he did not possess any dangerous items at the time of his arrest.

Etihad Airways has been contacted for further comment regarding the incident.

This charge comes amid a broader context in which India has experienced a rise in hoax bomb threats in the past year, particularly affecting flights to the Gulf region.

While all reported threats have ultimately been deemed non-viable, the resultant disruptions have reportedly incurred costs amounting to millions of dollars.