Drunk man prompts hijack alert on Virgin Airlines flight

Man tried to force his way into the cockpit of the flight, prompting pilot to report a hijack attempt

A man has been arrested in Bali airport, Indonesia after the pilot of a Virgin Australian Airport flight reported an attempted hijack.

The flight, which was travelling from Brisbane, Australia to the holiday island of Bali reportedly made the call after a man tried to enter the cockpit of the plane.

Indonesia's Metro TV had earlier cited an Indonesian air force spokesman as saying the plane had been hijacked.

But a Virgin official has since said the plane was not hijacked, adding that the passenger who attempted to enter the cockpit was drunk.

Heru Sudjatmiko, airport manager for Virgin Australia, said that the man was acting aggressively and was handcuffed by the crew.

He was then taken into custody after the plane landed.

All passengers were unharmed and the flight has been evacuated, an Indonesian air force spokesman has now said.

Virgin Australia Airlines, formerly Virgin Blue Airlines, is Australia's second-largest airline as well as the largest by fleet size to use the Virgin brand.