The man who allegedly made a bomb “joke” at Invercargill Airport last Friday (January 22), resulting in the airport being temporality shut down and the delay of several flights, has been blacklisted by Air New Zealand, and banned from taking any of the carrier’s flights. 

Stewart George Dempsey, aged 58, of Napier, appeared in the Invercargill District Court this morning charged with endangering transport.

He has been remanded without plea until February 23, 2021, where he is expected to appear via audio visual link. 

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Dempsey is a truck driver and according to his Duty Lawyer David Slater, he was in Invercargill after driving a vehicle here.

Mr Slater added that as Dempsey had now been blacklisted by Air New Zealand, he would have to travel back to Napier via car which would take around three days. 

The charge follows an incident that resulted in the evacuation of the Invercargill Airport terminal on Friday (January 22).

Invercargill Airport Manger Nigel Finnerty said at the time that emergency procedures had been enacted and police called after a passenger had made a mention of a bomb in a bag. He said such claims, whether meant as a gag or not, were taken “really seriously” in the aviation industry. 

The airport was closed for about an hour from 12pm on Friday.

No other arrests were made in relation incident.