Aeroplane passenger reveals what kicked-off mid-flight confrontation

A passenger whose plane was forced to land mid-flight has revealed what kicked-off the hours-long stand-off.

A passenger on-board an international flight forced to return to Sydney after a man’s rant about “Allah” has revealed what kicked off the crisis.

The rant, caught on video, was widely shared online after the Malaysia-bound flight was forced to return less than three hours after takeoff.

AFP allege Muhammad Ali Arif, 45, became disruptive mid-flight and was heard in the video asking passengers if they were “slaves to Allah”.

Edo Khan was a passenger on flight MH122 when the crisis kicked off and revealed to Nine what triggered the showdown.

“He had this bag strapped on his front. That‘s what started the whole thing,” Mr Khan told Today host Karl Stefanovic.

A man whose crazed rants about being a ‘slave to Allah’ forced an international flight to return to Sydney has been charged. Picture: Twitter

“The aircrew asked him to put it up. But he wouldn’t put it up, and then he said ‘don’t touch me’ any time they tried to touch him.

Mr Khan alleged Mr Arif then told aircrew: “I have got a bomb in here (...) If you love your life.

“Obviously, people were getting pretty freaked out by that,” Mr Khan said.

“But at the same time, he was so erratic and the stuff he was saying was so sort of incoherent as well.”

Mr Khan claimed Mr Arif later told passengers it was a “hoax” and that he was “just trying to scare people” and didn’t care if he went to jail.

The Byron Bay man praised the response of aircrew who reportedly checked the bag and did not find any dangerous materials.

In a statement, police revealed on Tuesday they had charged Mr Arif with a string of offences, including not complying with instruction.

The disruption grounded all flights in and out of Sydney airport for several hours before the man was arrested by AFP about 7pm. Picture: Twitter

He also faces a single charge of making a false statement about a threat to damage a plane that has a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison if convicted.

Talking to Nine, Mr Kah described the incident as “trying”, with passengers stranded on the tarmac at Sydney airport for about four hours.

En-route to India to have a break when the crisis unfolded, Mr Khan said he was just “excited to continue on with my journey”.

Canberra man Muhammad Ali Arif will front Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday.