Teenager charged for attempted hijacking in Victoria

A teenager has been charged with several serious offenses after allegedly attempting to hijack a Jetstar flight at Avalon Airport in Victoria. The 17-year-old is accused of entering the airport armed with a shotgun and claiming to have explosives on March 6. The teenager faces four federal charges, including attempted hijack and assaulting an airline crew member. He has 12 additional state charges related to the incident. Authorities are investigating whether he communicated with any foreign individuals about the attempted hijacking, but details of these communications are currently protected for national security reasons. Police say the boy got onto the airport property by cutting through a chain-link fence. He approached the flight on foot before boarding and alarming passengers with his threats. About 160 people were on the flight, which was scheduled to fly to Sydney. A sheep farmer named Barry Clark intervened during the incident and helped restrain the teenager, earning recognition as a hero. Clark, along with the pilot and others, tackled the boy to the ground. Footage of the event shows Clark keeping the teen restrained while others disarmed him. No one was hurt during the attempt. The teenager remains in custody and is set to appear in court next month.